Chester County, Pennsylvania, is investigating a significant election oversight that resulted in 75,000 registered independent and unaffiliated voters being excluded from poll books during the recent general election. This issue has led to the county's Board of Elections reviewing over 12,100 provisional ballots cast on November 4, as officials work to finalize election results.
The county's poll books, which are used for voters to sign in before casting their ballots, only included names of registered Republicans and Democrats. Voters who were not listed had to use provisional ballots, a process that typically sees fewer than 1,000 ballots in similar elections, according to a county spokeswoman.
As of November 11, Chester County had reviewed 8,200 of the provisional ballots. The county confirmed that it did not run out of provisional ballots at any of its 230 precincts on Election Day, although some locations did exhaust their supply of secrecy envelopes for the provisional ballots. Polling places remained open until 10 p.m. to accommodate voters.
Chester County CEO David Byerman stated, "Staff have been instructed to preserve all relevant materials, including evidence and notes, to support the investigatory process." He added that the county has engaged with the Pennsylvania Department of State to explore assistance options for the review.
The investigation aims to determine why the county operated with a primary poll book during the general election, which typically does not include independent voters. Byerman noted, "We are identifying law firms and/or subject matter experts qualified to conduct an independent investigation."
Chester County has outlined a timeline for the investigation on its website. On November 17, county officials will announce the independent party selected to conduct the investigation, along with deadlines and expectations. The county aims to complete the investigation by mid-December and present findings at an upcoming election meeting.
An update on the investigation process is scheduled for November 21 during the Chester County Board of Elections meeting at 10 a.m. The county anticipates certifying its election results on the same day. Byerman emphasized that the formal investigation will commence once all votes have been counted to avoid interfering with the election certification process.
Why it matters
- Referenced datasets and surveys are correlational unless stated otherwise.
- 75,000 independent voters were excluded from poll books, raising concerns about election integrity in Chester County.
- The oversight led to over 12,100 provisional ballots being reviewed, highlighting potential disenfranchisement.
- The investigation aims to understand why a primary poll book was used, which typically excludes independent voters.
What’s next
- An independent party will be announced on November 17 to conduct the investigation.
- An update on the investigation will be provided on November 21 during the Board of Elections meeting.
- The county aims to complete the investigation by mid-December and present findings at an election meeting.