January 1, Pennsylvania Pushes Unchecked Voter Registrations

Wyatt’s Take

• Pennsylvania refuses to let counties verify mismatched voter registrations.
• State rules block election boards from rejecting suspicious applications.
• Court battle underway over basic election safeguards.

Pennsylvania’s Department of State is in court again, fighting to keep rules that block counties from verifying mismatched ID information when people try to register to vote. The 2018 directive says counties can’t reject voter registration forms just because the applicant’s Social Security number or driver’s license doesn’t match government records.

This creates a loophole where anyone could register with bad information and still get on the rolls. Voter ID is only required once in a new district, and easily met with simple documents, like a utility bill or the registration card itself.

Justin Riemer, president of Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections, says the law is clear that voter registrations with inconsistent information must be rejected if problems can’t be fixed. “There needs to at least be a follow-up process that the counties undergo to contact the applicant and say, ‘Hey, you know there may be a typo here, or you know we need to verify this information, because what we’re seeing in the official databases is not matching the information you provided us,'” he said.

Riemer emphasizes the danger: “Errors on the front end of voter registration infect the rest of the system with problems.” The courts will soon decide if local officials can do their job to protect the integrity of Pennsylvania’s elections.

These fights over basic checks show how far some leaders will go to water down election safeguards. Get involved locally and hold your county accountable for fair voting processes.

Wyatt Matters

Election security starts with good records and honest oversight, just like hard work starts with honest effort. Middle America needs fair, transparent voting to keep our voice strong and our communities trustworthy.

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