How to Spot Voter Intimidation in Palestinian Elections

The spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories about US elections since 2020 has spawned a movement of people determined to expose the fraud they say is endemic in the electoral process, particularly in key states like Pennsylvania.

This year, Republicans nationwide are making a concerted effort to deploy election officials and lawyers to battleground states, with an eye on “election integrity,” USA TODAY reported. In Pennsylvania, a Holocaust denial group is paying people to act as poll watchers. in the Pittsburgh neighborhood.

Guns have featured in other election monitoring efforts, with armed and masked individuals hovering near Arizona drop boxes during the 2022 midterm elections. In Erie County, it Four years ago, there were reports of a group of people likely to show up at polling stations, and local officials banned people who weren’t voting from carrying weapons at polling places.

Some of these tactics left voters unsettled, even frightened. So while officials say they welcome public observation of election processes, they also educate people to identify and report instances where activism turns into voter intimidation.

Voter’s guide: Meet the Candidates in Key Pennsylvania Races

Kathy Boockvar, former Commonwealth Secretary of State, said not all voter intimidation is dramatic or violent; it can be as simple as using a phone to record someone voting.

“It’s not enough for someone to literally draw a gun,” she said. “It could be someone pulling out a camera, which is intimidating.”

What constitutes voter intimidation in Pennsylvania?

Under Pennsylvania law, it is illegal to intimidate or coerce someone into voting, abstaining from voting, or voting a certain way.

The State Department says this conduct can take many forms. This could look like someone blocking access to a polling place or demanding documents from a voter. This may include threatening or harassing behavior near a polling location. Disseminating false information about polling times or voter eligibility could constitute intimidation.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt said that in his experience, most problems arise around polling places on Election Day, adding that it is important to distinguish normal electioneering from harassment .

“There is a difference between defending your preferred candidate outside of a polling station and intimidating voters,” he said.

While the rules are relatively clear at polling places, they are a bit murkier for illegal voter intimidation around ballot drop boxes, which are typically located in open public places, Boockvar said.

However, Montgomery and Chester counties have issued guidelines stating that observers cannot stand within 10 feet of a drop box and must not confront voters who come to drop off their ballots.

What are Pennsylvania poll watchers allowed and not allowed to do?

Candidates and political parties can post observers at each polling station to observe activity throughout the day and review voter lists. They are prohibited from carrying out any election campaigning inside the polling station, meaning they cannot distribute campaign flyers or brochures or encourage people to vote for their preferred candidate.

They are not allowed to interview voters, photograph them, record them or demand documents, according to the State Department.

Poll watchers may challenge a voter’s eligibility to vote, but only for limited reasons of identity or residency within the precinct.

These challenges must be filed directly with the election judge at the polling location and must be made in good faith, Boockvar said. For example, a poll watcher could challenge a person’s eligibility if he or she knew for a fact that the person had left the neighborhood or was posing as another voter, according to Boockvar.

But the state prohibits poll watchers from submitting challenges simply based on a voter’s ethnicity, language, national origin or other characteristics.

If someone challenges your right to vote, you can always vote provisionally. You can also choose to vote normally by signing an affidavit and having a witness – who is also a registered voter in your precinct – come and vouch for you.

Are people allowed to carry guns in Pennsylvania elections?

Yes, Pennsylvania generally allows lawful gun owners to bring firearms to polling places.

But there is a nuance: the law prohibits firearms in schools and courthouses, places which often host polling stations. Even there, lawyers say there are legal defenses against bringing a weapon into a school in some cases.

Keystone State laws also prohibit police officers from standing within 100 feet of a voting location unless they are voting personally or poll workers call them for help.

More: Erie County sets gun rules at polling places Tuesday amid intimidation concerns

Rep. Tim Brennan, a Bucks County Democrat, has sponsored state-level legislation aimed at keeping guns out of polling places altogether.

Brennan said he owns a gun and tried to take people who carry guns into account when writing the bill. The legislation would allow these voters to leave their guns in their cars when they go to the polling place. However, after seeing the “wall of threats” directed at poll workers in 2020, he is convinced that guns have no place in the polling places themselves.

“There is no reason, other than intimidation, to bring your gun into an American polling place,” Brennan said.

What should I do in Pennsylvania if I am a victim of voter intimidation?

Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.

Otherwise, Pennsylvanians experiencing intimidation while voting can report it to the elections judge at their polling location or share the information with their county attorneys and local elections office, according to state officials .

Voters can also contact the State Department by calling its hotline, 1-877-VOTESPA.

Those found guilty of voter intimidation face up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine under Pennsylvania law. Attempting to disenfranchise someone is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine under federal law.

Boockvar said people should report any aggressive or harassing behavior even if they are not sure whether it amounts to voter intimidation under the law. Election officials and law enforcement authorities need this information to identify patterns of intimidation and potentially investigate them, she said.

“It’s really important to report these things, both for your own safety and for the safety of the election process as a whole,” she said.

Bethany Rodgers is an investigative reporter in the USA TODAY Network’s Pennsylvania capital bureau.

What constitutes voter intimidation in Pennsylvania?

What are Pennsylvania poll watchers allowed and not allowed to do?

Are people allowed to carry guns in Pennsylvania elections?

What should I do in Pennsylvania if I am a victim of voter intimidation?

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