Within the battleground state of Pennsylvania, which specialists say may resolve the winner of the presidential race, election officers have been getting ready for months for hundreds of thousands of residents to forged their extremely anticipated votes. Early voting is underway in each county, with mail-in-ballots accessible for voters to forged in particular person or by mail.
However these election officers have additionally quietly been getting ready for an additional chance: an onslaught of litigation that might flood the courts on Election Day and past.
“We’re the most important swing county within the largest swing state, so we’re very acutely aware of the truth that now we have a whole lot of eyes on us,” Bob Harvie, the Democratic vice chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners, mentioned in an interview with ABC Information.
Bucks County — a suburb outdoors of Philadelphia that former President Donald Trump narrowly misplaced by lower than a share level in 2016 and by about 5% in 2020 — has been sued 11 instances for the reason that 2020 election, in response to Harvie.
Now, Harvie mentioned, they’re “bracing” for a repeat.
They’ve re-engaged with their legal professionals from 2020, Harvie mentioned, and have made positive to doc every part they’re doing,
“If we’re doing every part the correct manner, and we’re documenting every part, then each lawsuit that comes our manner — frivolous as it could be — will fail,” Harvie mentioned.
Already, various pre-election challenges have made their method to the Pennsylvania courts as a part of an aggressive push by the Republican Nationwide Committee and the Trump marketing campaign’s “election integrity” program. This week the RNC introduced its most sweeping problem but, asking the U.S. Supreme Court docket to dam Pennsylvania voters from casting provisional ballots on Election Day if their mail-in-ballots have been beforehand rejected as a result of a scarcity of a secrecy envelope — a case they are saying has the potential to have an effect on 1000’s of mail-in ballots within the crucial state.
Carmen Egoavil, 67, votes utilizing an absentee or mail-in poll as Silvia Egoavil, 38, assists on October 15, 2024 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Hannah Beier/Getty Pictures
Josh Shapiro, the outspoken governor of the state who was into account to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ operating mate earlier than she selected Tim Walz, not too long ago mentioned, “I do not need confidence” that Donald Trump will not query the outcomes of the 2024 election.
“I’ll inform the nice individuals of this commonwealth and this nation, we’re ready for something Donald Trump throws at us, and we’re going to ensure the need of the individuals is protected,” Shapiro mentioned whereas showing on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. On Tuesday, Trump mentioned at a press convention that there have been “unhealthy spots” in Pennsylvania, however that up to now the election was “going very nicely.”
One Shapiro aide advised ABC Information that their authorized workforce has been getting ready for the election and potential litigation for the reason that “first day” Shapiro took workplace almost two years in the past.
“Our attorneys are able to uphold Pennsylvania’s Election Code and defend voters’ rights,” the aide mentioned.
Pennsylvania noticed a wave of litigation within the wake of the 2020 election, as a part of Trump and his allies’ effort to overturn his loss. Conspiracy theories circulated rampantly after the state did not depend sufficient votes on election evening to find out the winner — circumstances that have been exacerbated by the massive variety of mail-in ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pennsylvania regulation dictates that election employees will not be allowed to conduct what is known as “pre-canvassing” of mail-in ballots — the method of getting ready mail-in ballots to be counted by opening them and eradicating the secrecy envelope — till 7 a.m. on the day of the election. In keeping with the Brennan Heart for Justice, a nonprofit suppose tank, which means Pennsylvania, not like different states, cannot get a bounce begin on tabulating mail-in votes — which helped contribute to the delay in 2020.
The state didn’t have closing ends in 2020 till the Saturday after Election Day — and that regulation has not modified for the 2024 election. Nevertheless, Shapiro mentioned the state has made some adjustments to attempt to pace issues up, which he believes will result in sooner outcomes.
“We did make one concrete change for the reason that final time we had a presidential race, and that’s as soon as the counties start counting — it is 7 a.m. on Election Day — they cannot cease, that means they must preserve going,” Shapiro mentioned. “The final time, a few of the counties stopped, went residence, slept, had some, you realize, water and meals, and got here again. This time, they’ve made plans to go right through, so I count on it’s going to be before what we had final time.
For a lot of, the specter of 2020 remains to be hanging over their heads as they enter the ultimate dash towards the 2024 election.
“I did not see 2020, however my understanding is it shocked everybody with what was occurring,” mentioned Colleen Frens, who took over as county solicitor in Chester County in 2021.
Chester County — an space within the Philadelphia suburbs that the New York Occasions mentioned is “more and more crucial to Democrats statewide” — didn’t “take the brunt” of the authorized challenges in 2020, Frens mentioned, however the county nonetheless reached a degree lately the place election points have been consuming almost all of its authorized sources.
“We’re type of at all times ready for the following shoe to drop. It is a great use of economic and human sources,” Frens mentioned.
In all, the county has spent almost half one million {dollars} since 2020 on election litigation, officers advised ABC Information.
Not too long ago, they’ve fashioned relationships with outdoors legal professionals, ought to they want them on election evening, and have began a weekly assembly with neighboring counties to debate what they’re seeing on the bottom and the way they will share authorized sources.
“We established extra formal assist in order that after we want it, it is there, and we do not have to scramble,” Frens mentioned. “These are essential instances and also you usually solely have 12 hours to draft a quick, so now we have to drag within the sources of bigger companies which have authorized workers to assist with that.”
“We have now to pay for it, however it works,” she mentioned.
