Fact check: Trump and his allies raise election fraud allegations in Pennsylvania

With less than a week to go until Election Day, former President Donald Trump and his allies are making multiple allegations of fraud or misconduct around battleground Pennsylvania — and while some isolated issues have emerged, election officials are pushing back on any suggestion that indicate that deliberate attempts are being made to suppress the vote.

On Tuesday, Trump escalated these claims, baselessly accusing the state of “cheating and getting caught, on a massive scale” in a social media post.

Here’s a deeper look at some of the claims.

Woman arrested in Delaware County?

Late Monday night, the Trump campaign sent an email claiming that a voter in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, had been “arrested for encouraging people to stay in line and vote” after election officials allegedly told voters to leave and thus “actively suppressed” their right to vote. Michael Whatley, chairman of the Republican National Committee, also shared a video of the incident on social media, claiming it was a “supporter of President Trump” being removed.

In a statement, Delaware County walked back that claim and applauded election officials on the scene, saying in a statement that multiple eyewitnesses characterized the woman as “disruptive, combative and attempting to influence voters standing in line.”

That behavior, the statement said, led to several complaints, and the Delaware County Park Police who provided security at the site responded.

In an updated statement Wednesday, county officials said the woman “did not wait in line for any services,” stayed in the lobby for nearly two hours and “approached several individuals,” prompting complaints. Park Police then “provided her with verbal guidance on appropriate behavior and allowed her to remain in the lobby,” the statement said, before she was asked to leave after additional complaints but “refused.”

The province said the case “remains an active criminal investigation.”

“We take voting rights very seriously in Delaware County,” said Delaware County Council President Dr. Monica Taylor. “Voters have the right to participate in our democracy without being harassed or intimidated, and we applaud our Park Police for calming the disturbances and allowing voting to continue without disruption.”

The woman later appeared in a social media video with Whatley, saying, “I tried to get the vote out,” but was arrested “for exercising my First Amendment rights.”

A spokesperson for the province said the woman was “briefly detained and issued a citation for disorderly conduct.”

Registration fraud in Lancaster and York counties?

On social media, Trump has personally raised claims of voter fraud in Lancaster County and York County.

The former president is right, in one sense: Officials in Lancaster County said they had put an end to potential voter registration fraud. But on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Lancaster County had been “caught” with counterfeit ballots and forms — a claim that distorts an example that Pennsylvania officials are promoting as an example of their security systems working properly.

ABC News previously reported that officials in Lancaster County said they had stopped potential incidents of voter registration fraud just weeks before the presidential election. The Lancaster County Board of Elections said in a statement that approximately 2,500 suspected fraudulent voter registration applications were delivered to the elections office in two batches around the registration deadline. The board said “concerns were raised” during the normal review process and law enforcement was alerted.

Notably, the board said in its statement that the fraud had been “identified and contained,” praising this incident as one that demonstrates that the election system “is secure.”

“Our system worked,” the board stated. “We will continue to operate with the highest level of truthfulness, integrity and transparency so that Lancaster County voters can have confidence in our elections.”

Trump also said in his post that York County also received “THOUSANDS” of potentially fraudulent registrations and voting applications.

However, in a statement, York County officials said they were still investigating. The York County Commissioner confirmed that they had received a “large shipment” of registration forms and ballots, and that they are in the process of investigating their legality.

If fraud is detected, the statement said, they will alert authorities.

“We are committed to ensuring the integrity, safety and security of our elections,” York County Chief Executive Julie Wheeler said in the statement.

People cut out of line in Bucks County?

A Pennsylvania judge quickly granted a request from the Trump campaign on Wednesday, ordering a three-day extension of the deadline for in-person voting in Bucks County – until the end of the day on Friday, November 1.

The campaign had only asked for a one-day extension. The deadline was Tuesday at 5 p.m

In his one-page order, Judge Jeffrey Trauger wrote that the county violated Pennsylvania’s election code after “turning away voters who attempted to request a ballot and receive one in person before the deadline.”

He ordered the county to allow anyone who wishes to “request, receive, vote and return a mail-in ballot” before the end of the business day on Friday.

The ruling was a victory for the RNC and the Trump campaign, which had filed a lawsuit against the Bucks County Board of Elections and others seeking a one-day extension of the ballot submission deadline. claiming that voters’ had been rejected. , and forced to leave by security” while trying to personally request a ballot.

The lawsuit included signed statements from three people who claim they were turned away Tuesday afternoon.

“In Bucks County, we strongly believe in voters’ right to vote,” county officials said in a statement after the ruling. “In accordance with today’s court ruling, we are pleased to be able to offer additional days to those who still wish to vote on-demand.”

Several Trump allies posted a video Tuesday afternoon that they say shows law enforcement shutting down the line at a Bucks County polling place before 3 p.m., even though the line was supposed to be open until 5 p.m.

The viral social media posts – which racked up hundreds of thousands of views – followed several local reports documented long lines and officials cutting lines in Bucks County, leading to some frustration among voters and prominent Republicans alike.

In a statement Tuesday, county officials pushed back on any suggestion that what happened in Bucks County amounted to intentional voter suppression, as Trump’s allies alleged, saying: “Contrary to what is depicted on social media, if you queue for an on-demand mail-in ballot by 5:00 p.m., you will have the opportunity to submit your request for a mail-in ballot.”

“That ballot will then be mailed to the voter or can be picked up by the voter later this week,” the statement said.

The province acknowledged that there was indeed some “miscommunication” from officials on the ground. Those in line to request an on-demand ballot were “briefly told they could not be accommodated,” the county said, but added that those individuals were eventually allowed to submit their applications.

In a post on

“Earlier today, we spoke with Bucks County election officials, who assured us that any registered voter who goes to their county elections office at 5 p.m. today will have the opportunity to request their mail-in ballot,” the post said. “Please be patient with all County Elections Office staff as they work diligently to ensure every registered voter can vote in this election.”

Overall, the Bucks County spokesman said, these issues reflect the reality and confusion surrounding so-called “early voting” in the state: Unlike some other states, Pennsylvania does not have a standard “early voting” period — instead of these, there is the option of in-person voting on demand, where voters can go to a polling station, request a ballot paper, fill it out and return it on the spot.

“The Board of Elections office is not a polling place. In-person mail-in ballots on demand are not early voting. This service is provided as a courtesy to voters because we have the equipment to do so,” said county spokesman James O. ‘Malley told the Pennsylvania Star.

“We are happy to accommodate as many voters as possible, but the fact remains that this is not a polling place and our staff must be given time to perform their other duties in furtherance of the election,” O’Malley said. .