PAGOP COMMITTEE TO REVIEW GOVERNOR’S NEW VOTING MACHINE FAILURES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
December 4, 2019

Harrisburg, PA – Chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, Lawrence Tabas, today announced the creation of a committee to address widely reported issues with Governor Wolf’s new voting machines.  

“The Voting Machine Review Committee will examine incidents related to this past November’s Election and any efforts taken to remedy problems with these voting machines,” said Tabas. “The Committee will identify remedies available under the law, and will evaluate the Department of State’s preparedness going into 2020. Our goal is to make certain proper training and procedures are in place, and to give voters due confidence that these voting machines are functioning properly and able to handle next year’s much larger voter turnout.”

Pennsylvania voters and election officials used the Republican Party Legal Hotline to report problems with the voting machines across the state on November 5. Among the more problematic, Northampton County officials reported severe malfunctions which prevented them from recording votes properly and reporting accurate results on Election Night. York county reported that the scanners associated with the new machines created massive lines and wait times, which caused many voters to give up and leave without voting. Other counties reported that scanner delays and malfunctions denied voters privacy and ability to scan their own ballot.  

In the crosshairs, are Governor Wolf’s new voting machines, which the Republican Party insists were rolled out too hastily. “Rolling these machines out without standard operating procedures and adequate training in place created mayhem and suspicion across the state,” said Tabas. “In Philadelphia, vote counts from roughly 70 precincts, were inexplicably missing for days after the election. We cannot have such conditions and confidence in our elections at the same time.” 

In order to ensure that every stakeholder is made aware of the committee’s findings and recommendations, Tabas says that the committee will publish a report, and submit to the Department of State and the State Legislature, no later than February 29, 2020.  

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Media Contact:  Charlie O’Neill ([email protected]