Oct. 28, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerPotentially thousands of requested mail ballots lost in Pa. county, official saysby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAButler County has the worst return rate for mail ballots in the state, and the U.S. Postal Service has been asked to investigate.
Oct. 28, 2020JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerU.S. Supreme Court refuses to expedite Pa. mail ballot case, but could still interveneby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAWith the prospect the high court could still hear the case or related challenges to late ballots, state election officials urged voters to hand-deliver their ballots as soon as possible.
Oct. 28, 2020Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAErie County restricts activities of openly armed residents near the polls if they aren’t votingby Tom Lisi for Spotlight PAElections officials said they took the steps to combat voter intimidation, but at least one legal expert said a challenge was almost guaranteed.
Oct. 27, 2020TOM GRALISH / Philadelphia InquirerElection 2020 in Pennsylvania: All of your voting questions, answeredby Spotlight PA StaffCan I vote in person if I requested a mail ballot? Are guns allowed at the polls? Can I take a selfie? Spotlight PA will continue to answer your questions in the week leading up to the 2020 election.
Oct. 27, 2020Joe Hermitt / PennLiveMillions pour into Pa. House, Senate races as Democrats vie for controlby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAFour of the many committees that are heavily involved in state legislative races have alone spent more than $16.9 million this year.
Oct. 27, 2020TOM GRALISH / Philadelphia InquirerWhat is ‘ballot harvesting,’ and who can and can’t deliver your mail ballot in Pa.by Marie Albiges for Spotlight PAOnly a voter can mail their ballot or return it in person, unless they have a disability and officially designate someone to do it for them.
Oct. 26, 2020MONICA HERNDON / Philadelphia InquirerDemocrats have control of the Pa. state House within their reachby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Andrew Seidman of The Philadelphia InquirerPresident Donald Trump’s unpopularity in the suburbs is threatening down-ballot Republicans, and Democrats are pummeling GOP incumbents on the airwaves.
Oct. 23, 2020Margo Reed / Philadelphia InquirerCounties cannot reject mail ballots because of mismatched signatures, Pa. Supreme Court rulesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe high court’s unanimous ruling makes it far less likely there will be drawn out challenges to mail-in ballots based on signatures come Election Day.
Oct. 22, 2020Margo Reed / Philadelphia InquirerHow Amy Coney Barrett could be key to new lawsuit to block Pa.’s mail-in ballot extensionby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Marie Albiges for Spotlight PAThe latest challenge raises a new legal question: whether extending the deadline affords mail-in voters a privilege not enjoyed by those who vote in person on Nov. 3.
Oct. 22, 2020Margo Reed / Philadelphia InquirerTalks collapse on a deal to let Pa. counties open mail ballots before Election Dayby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA and Jonathan Lai of The Philadelphia InquirerWith no deal between Gov. Tom Wolf and the GOP-led legislature, the processing of mail ballots can’t begin until 7 a.m. on Election Day, opening room for candidates to falsely declare victory.
Oct. 21, 2020HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerA year ago, voting machines malfunctioned in a pivotal Pa. county. Have the problems been fixed?by Marie Albiges for Spotlight PAVoters in Northampton County — widely seen as a bellwether for the 2020 election — will use machines that in 2019 caused voting errors and miscounts.
Oct. 19, 2020ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerU.S. Supreme Court allows 3-day extension to count Pennsylvania mail-in ballotsby Marie Albiges for Spotlight PAThe high court’s refusal to intervene in the case, brought by the state Republican Party and GOP leaders, means ballots in Pennsylvania will be accepted through Nov. 6.
Oct. 19, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerTop Pa. election official says ‘overwhelming majority’ of votes will be counted by Friday after Election Dayby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAStill, Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar is urging state lawmakers to take additional action to prevent the possibility of delayed results.
Oct. 19, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerVIDEO: A live Spotlight PA interview with Secretary Kathy Boockvar on the 2020 election in Pa.by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAA full recording of Spotlight PA's Capitol Live event on how Pennsylvania is working to ensure a fair and accurate vote.
Oct. 16, 2020YONG KIM / Philadelphia InquirerPa. could become ‘ground zero’ for court battles on — and after — Election Dayby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAFrom drop boxes to naked ballots, state and federal judges in recent weeks have waded into increasingly high-stakes battles to clarify what is legal, and what is not.
Oct. 15, 2020JESSICA GRIFFIN / Philadelphia InquirerEverything Pa. poll watchers can — and can’t — do on Election Day, explainedby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA and Emily Previti of WITFPresident Donald Trump called on his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully.” But there are actually strict rules about poll watchers and what they can do.
Oct. 9, 2020HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerPa. Republicans drop effort to create ‘election integrity’ panel with subpoena powerby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAAlarmed state Democratic lawmakers previously called the proposal a “stealth attack” on voting.
Oct. 8, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerLawmakers mount new push to give Pa. counties more flexibility in counting mail-in ballotsby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PACounty election officials say it’s the number one issue standing between them and a timely counting of votes: allowing them to begin processing mail-in ballots before Nov. 3.
Sept. 30, 2020HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerPa. Republicans want to create and control an ‘election integrity’ panel with subpoena powerby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe move comes a day after President Donald Trump fanned manufactured claims of election fraud. Alarmed state Democratic lawmakers called it a “stealth attack” on voting.
Sept. 25, 2020KALIM BHATTI / The Philadelphia InquirerCould the Pa. GOP bypass the popular vote regardless of who wins? Here’s what we know.by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe head of the state Republican Party raised the possibility that the GOP-controlled legislature could choose a slate of presidential electors to cast the state’s votes for Donald Trump.
Sept. 18, 2020TYGER WILLIAMS / Philadelphia InquirerVoting victories for Democrats in Pa. might have closed the door on more election reformby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAElection boards want to start processing mail-in ballots before Election Day, but such a move would require cooperation between the Democratic governor and Republican leaders.
Sept. 1, 2020YONG KIM / Philadelphia InquirerPa. GOP advances election bill that would ban drop boxes, get mail-in ballots to voters earlierby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe bill was championed by Republicans as an effort to ensure a secure election, and decried by Democrats as an attack on ballot access.
Aug. 27, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesSurge in mail-in ballots could delay election results, so Wolf wants to change the rulesby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAWhile 1.5 million people in Pennsylvania voted by mail this June, experts are anticipating that number to rise amid concerns about COVID-19.
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