The Pennsylvania Election Protection coalition today has fielded more than 350 calls to the toll-free Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE, including 191 reports of problems, as of 10 a.m.
As predicted, turnout at in-person polling places is low, especially in Philadelphia, which has experienced civil unrest in response to police violence against Black citizens.
Individuals who decided to vote in person have encountered polling places that did not open on time in Allegheny, Delaware, Lehigh and Philadelphia counties, as well as confusion with machines and long lines.
Across the state:
Some specific examples in Philadelphia:
“The state and counties are doing the best that they can today, amid incredibly challenging circumstances, and we appreciate that,” said Suzanne Almeida, interim executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania. “However, if county elections offices don’t receive additional resources to address problems like these, we are very concerned about what will happen in November.”
The Pennsylvania Election Protection Coalition is led by a core group of organizations, including Common Cause Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Voice, ACLU of Pennsylvania, the Pitt Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security (Pitt Cyber), All Voting is Local, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Fair Elections Center.