The Republican National Committee (RNC) has raised concerns regarding the potential illegal recruitment of out-of-state poll watchers by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, as indicated in a letter sent on Thursday. The RNC highlights instances of “misinformation” present on the state party’s website.
According to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party’s website, individuals recruited as poll watchers are required to be physically present in the state; however, it states that they “do not necessarily have to be PA voters.” This guidance appears to be in conflict with Pennsylvania state law, which mandates that poll watchers must be “a qualified registered elector of the county” where the election is occurring, as noted in the RNC’s correspondence.
“That’s a completely inaccurate statement regarding Pennsylvania poll watchers,” Linda A. Kerns, Pennsylvania election integrity counsel for the RNC, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Our law is extremely strict on that. A candidate can’t even enter the polling place unless he’s actually there to vote. If you want to be a poll watcher, you have to be a resident of the county where that district is.”
“The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is soliciting individuals to violate state law,” Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the Heritage Foundation said.
The Republican National Committee not only challenged the legality of these guidelines in their correspondence but also asserted that enlisting poll watchers in accordance with these restrictions could undermine the integrity of the election outcomes. The presidential contest is notably competitive in the critical state of Pennsylvania, where former President Donald Trump is currently leading Vice President Kamala Harris by a mere 0.1 points, as indicated by RealClearPolitics averages of polls conducted between July 22 and August 28. Most recently, a poll from Emerson College/Hill revealed a tie in the Rust Belt state, with both Harris and Trump receiving 48% of the vote.
“It’s incorrect, and the last thing voters need is to have incorrect information like that spread,” Kern told the DCNF. “And I think that the Democrats know that. People have the right to go to their polling place and have it be a smooth experience. That’s what our laws are designed for.”
“The misinformation on the PA Dems’ website threatens the integrity of November’s general election,” the letter reads. “The Democratic Party cannot be permitted to recruit poll watchers in violation of the law and flood polling places with unqualified out-of-state poll watchers across the Commonwealth. We urge your office to issue a public statement clarifying that poll watchers must be registered voters in the counties in which they serve as poll watchers.”
Pennsylvania boasts the highest number of electoral votes among the seven battleground states, totaling 19 electors. President Joe Biden, along with former President Donald Trump and Barack Obama, all achieved their presidential victories with the crucial support of Pennsylvania’s electoral votes.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) conveyed its apprehensions in the correspondence regarding the statements made by Pennsylvania Democrats on their website concerning “early vote monitors.” These monitors are tasked with aiding voters at locations outside of the Boards of Election and satellite voting sites. The RNC contended that the recruitment of such “early vote monitors” might lead to “chaos” within these election offices and jeopardize the ability of monitors to effectively “engage in observation of voting activities.”
“This is an egregious misstatement of Pennsylvania election law,” the letter reads. “For the benefit of all candidates and political parties, please clarify the scope of permissible activities with respect to observation at satellite election offices and whether the PA Dems’ proposed activities are consistent with the position you took as a Commissioner in Philadelphia.”
