Election Integrity and the Sanctity of the Vote
in the 2024 U.S. Elections

(ema, revised Oct. 30, 2024)  According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "All told there are more than 10,000 election jurisdictions in the U.S.," ranging from small towns to the largest jurisdiction, Los Angeles County (>).  With such a wide-ranging and decentralized system it is inevitable that some problems will crop up.  Amidst many challenges, election and law enforcement officials around the country are working to ensure the security and sanctity of the 2024 election. 

Former President Donald J. Trump's unfounded charges that the 2020 election was "stolen" and his attempts to overturn the outcome imposed a severe stress test on American democracy, but time after time his and his supporters' claims did not bear up under scrutiny.  In the years since 2020, laws and rules governing the conduct of elections have been intensely litigated.  The Republican National Committee has been particularly aggressive in this area (+), while Democrats1 argue that many of those cases amount to "voter suppression."  As we head to Election Day 2024, the stage is set for a protracted post-election legal battle similar to what happened in 2020. 

One major problem is the proliferation of misinformation and rumors (+), creating what Wired termed a "toxic information system."2This is underpinned by former President Trump's rhetoric and casual regard for the truth and amped up by the closeness and intensity of the 2024 campaign.  Some people have crossed the line, exemplified by the assassination attempts on Trump.  Election workers have faced threats, and in June 2021, DOJ formed an Election Threats Task Force to focus on the issue.  Dramatically, in October 2024 several ballot boxes were set on fire in Oregon and Washington (+).  Less dramatic actions are also concerning, such as an instance of attempted voter registration fraud in Lancaster County, PA discovered in October 24 (+).  There are also occasional by race nstances of voter fraud such as voters casting two ballots or non-citizens voting.
 
Another challenge to the integrity of our elections is foreign influence operations by malign actors such as Russia, Iran, and China.
3  Election interference is not new, being well documented in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns (+), but it is ever evolving.  By such means as social media posts, videos (+), and fake news sites these foreign government linked efforts spread disinformation, which is picked up and spread by Americans, sowing division and undermining trust.  The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are involved in identifying and countering these threats (+).  On Sept. 4, 2024 the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced "the ongoing seizure of 32 internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns (+)" as well as the indictment of two Russian nationals (+).  

Ultimately it is up to voters to verify their sources of information and complete and return their ballots properly.  When controversies about election processes make news, voters must take care not to over-react to provocative tweets or rumor-mongering, but to look into the facts of each situation that arises.  
 
Note:
1. Democrats did engage in their own form of suppression pursuing aggressive legal efforts to keep third party and independent candidates off of state ballots.

2. David Gilbert.  "Election Fraud Conspiracy Theories Are Already Thriving Online."  Wired, Oct. 29, 2024.

3. See for example:
Clint Watts.  "Russian interference efforts focus on Harris-Walz campaign".  Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, Sept. 17, 2024.

--.  "Chinese State-Linked Influence Operation Spamouflage Masquerades as U.S. Voters to Push Divisive Online Narratives."  Graphika, Sept. 3, 2024.

Clint Watts.  "Iran Targeting 2024 US Election."  Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, Aug. 8, 2024.

Elise Thomas.  "Pro-CCP Spamouflage campaign experiments with new tactics targeting the US."  Institute for Strategic Dialogue, Apr. 1, 2024.


Resources:
Democracy Defense Project

National Association of Secretaries of State #TrustedInfo2024

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency #Protect2024


U.S. Department of Justice - Voting and Elections

RNC's Protect the Vote 

Democracy Docket [Democratic] 

Election Law Blog [Rick Hasen]


See also:
Oct. 29, 2024 - Erie County Board of Elections: "...many voters in Erie County have not received their requested mail ballots." [PDF]

Oct. 28, 2024 - U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Postal Service is Ready to Deliver the Nation's Election Mail
 
Sept. 18, 2024 - U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing: "Foreign Threats to Elections in 2024 – Roles and Responsibilities of U.S. Tech Providers" 

Sept. 11, 2024 - U.S. House Committee on House Administration hearing: "Looking Ahead to the 2024 General Election"

May 16, 2024 - U.S. House Committee on House Administration hearing: "American Confidence in Elections: Preventing Noncitizen Voting and Other Foreign Interference"

May 15, 2024 - U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing: "An Update on Foreign Threats to the 2024 Elections"

Apr. 19, 2024 - Republican National Committee: "Trump Campaign and RNC Unveil Historic 100,000 Person Election Integrity Program"

Feb. 29, 2024 - Gov. Josh Shapiro: Governor Shapiro Launches Pennsylvania Election Threats Task Force to Ensure Safe, Free, & Fair Election this November

JOINT STATEMENT CONTACT: Michael Fitzpatrick, Communications Director October 25, 2024 mfitzpatrick@lancastercountypa.gov – 717-299-8301 Lancaster, PA – On, Friday, October 25th, the Lancaster County Board of Elections – consisting of County Commissioners Ray D’Agostino, Josh Parsons and Alice Yoder – together with Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams held a press conference regarding Lancaster County Board of Elections staff identifying and containing incidents of suspected voter registration fraud in Lancaster County. Approximately 2,500 voter registration forms have been contained and segregated. These applications are going through an extensive multi-step review process including checks for duplicate handwriting matching other voter registration forms, inconsistent signatures with what is on file in the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE) system, inaccurate or unverifiable addresses and inaccurate driver’s license or Social Security numbers. The Board of Elections staff are then providing these applications to the District Attorney’s Office for further investigation as warranted. Lancaster County Detectives began investigating the voter registration applications and immediately found applications that were indeed fraudulent. In some cases, applications contained correct personal identification information such as the right address, phone, DOB, driver’s license and social security number, but the individual listed on the application informed Detectives that they did not request the form, did not complete the form and verified that the signature on the form was not theirs. The District Attorney stated during the press conference that the preliminary investigation indicates these fraudulent voter registration applications are connected to a large-scale canvassing operation for voter registrations dating back to June. The majority of applications received are dated August 15 and after. Those canvassing for voter applications were employed and paid to obtain voter registration applications. The District Attorney stated that the majority of applications were from residents in the City of Lancaster. Applications were also received from residents in Columbia, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Akron, Ephrata, Stevens, Strasburg as well as other locations across Lancaster County. These canvasses took place at various shopping centers, parking lots of grocery stores, other businesses, sidewalks, and parks. During the investigation, if an application has been verified to be legitimate through the applicant confirming to detectives that they did provide information to a canvasser, the Board of Elections office will be notified and the application processed. The Elections system in Lancaster County is secure. Our systems worked. We will continue to operate with the highest levels of veracity, integrity, and transparency so that Lancaster County voters can be confident in our election. Voters who have recently registered to vote are encouraged to check their voter registration online and ensure its accuracy at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/voterregistrationstatus.aspx. If a voter still has a question about their voter registration application after visiting the Department of State’s website, they should contact the Board of Elections Office at 717-288-8293. If you have reason to believe that your personal information was used on a voter registration application without your consent or if you were approached by someone and asked to register under suspicious circumstances, please contact the Lancaster County Detectives at 717-299-8100. The full recording of the press conference can be found HERE. ### Created Oct 25th, 2024 @ 4:34 PM

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/da/11617/post/lancaster-county-board-elections-district-attorney-hold-press-conference-attempted-voter
JOINT STATEMENT CONTACT: Michael Fitzpatrick, Communications Director October 25, 2024 mfitzpatrick@lancastercountypa.gov – 717-299-8301 Lancaster, PA – On, Friday, October 25th, the Lancaster County Board of Elections – consisting of County Commissioners Ray D’Agostino, Josh Parsons and Alice Yoder – together with Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams held a press conference regarding Lancaster County Board of Elections staff identifying and containing incidents of suspected voter registration fraud in Lancaster County. Approximately 2,500 voter registration forms have been contained and segregated. These applications are going through an extensive multi-step review process including checks for duplicate handwriting matching other voter registration forms, inconsistent signatures with what is on file in the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE) system, inaccurate or unverifiable addresses and inaccurate driver’s license or Social Security numbers. The Board of Elections staff are then providing these applications to the District Attorney’s Office for further investigation as warranted. Lancaster County Detectives began investigating the voter registration applications and immediately found applications that were indeed fraudulent. In some cases, applications contained correct personal identification information such as the right address, phone, DOB, driver’s license and social security number, but the individual listed on the application informed Detectives that they did not request the form, did not complete the form and verified that the signature on the form was not theirs. The District Attorney stated during the press conference that the preliminary investigation indicates these fraudulent voter registration applications are connected to a large-scale canvassing operation for voter registrations dating back to June. The majority of applications received are dated August 15 and after. Those canvassing for voter applications were employed and paid to obtain voter registration applications. The District Attorney stated that the majority of applications were from residents in the City of Lancaster. Applications were also received from residents in Columbia, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Akron, Ephrata, Stevens, Strasburg as well as other locations across Lancaster County. These canvasses took place at various shopping centers, parking lots of grocery stores, other businesses, sidewalks, and parks. During the investigation, if an application has been verified to be legitimate through the applicant confirming to detectives that they did provide information to a canvasser, the Board of Elections office will be notified and the application processed. The Elections system in Lancaster County is secure. Our systems worked. We will continue to operate with the highest levels of veracity, integrity, and transparency so that Lancaster County voters can be confident in our election. Voters who have recently registered to vote are encouraged to check their voter registration online and ensure its accuracy at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/voterregistrationstatus.aspx. If a voter still has a question about their voter registration application after visiting the Department of State’s website, they should contact the Board of Elections Office at 717-288-8293. If you have reason to believe that your personal information was used on a voter registration application without your consent or if you were approached by someone and asked to register under suspicious circumstances, please contact the Lancaster County Detectives at 717-299-8100. The full recording of the press conference can be found HERE. ###

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/da/11617/post/lancaster-county-board-elections-district-attorney-hold-press-conference-attempted-voter
JOINT STATEMENT CONTACT: Michael Fitzpatrick, Communications Director October 25, 2024 mfitzpatrick@lancastercountypa.gov – 717-299-8301 Lancaster, PA – On, Friday, October 25th, the Lancaster County Board of Elections – consisting of County Commissioners Ray D’Agostino, Josh Parsons and Alice Yoder – together with Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams held a press conference regarding Lancaster County Board of Elections staff identifying and containing incidents of suspected voter registration fraud in Lancaster County. Approximately 2,500 voter registration forms have been contained and segregated. These applications are going through an extensive multi-step review process including checks for duplicate handwriting matching other voter registration forms, inconsistent signatures with what is on file in the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE) system, inaccurate or unverifiable addresses and inaccurate driver’s license or Social Security numbers. The Board of Elections staff are then providing these applications to the District Attorney’s Office for further investigation as warranted. Lancaster County Detectives began investigating the voter registration applications and immediately found applications that were indeed fraudulent. In some cases, applications contained correct personal identification information such as the right address, phone, DOB, driver’s license and social security number, but the individual listed on the application informed Detectives that they did not request the form, did not complete the form and verified that the signature on the form was not theirs. The District Attorney stated during the press conference that the preliminary investigation indicates these fraudulent voter registration applications are connected to a large-scale canvassing operation for voter registrations dating back to June. The majority of applications received are dated August 15 and after. Those canvassing for voter applications were employed and paid to obtain voter registration applications. The District Attorney stated that the majority of applications were from residents in the City of Lancaster. Applications were also received from residents in Columbia, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Akron, Ephrata, Stevens, Strasburg as well as other locations across Lancaster County. These canvasses took place at various shopping centers, parking lots of grocery stores, other businesses, sidewalks, and parks. During the investigation, if an application has been verified to be legitimate through the applicant confirming to detectives that they did provide information to a canvasser, the Board of Elections office will be notified and the application processed. The Elections system in Lancaster County is secure. Our systems worked. We will continue to operate with the highest levels of veracity, integrity, and transparency so that Lancaster County voters can be confident in our election. Voters who have recently registered to vote are encouraged to check their voter registration online and ensure its accuracy at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/voterregistrationstatus.aspx. If a voter still has a question about their voter registration application after visiting the Department of State’s website, they should contact the Board of Elections Office at 717-288-8293. If you have reason to believe that your personal information was used on a voter registration application without your consent or if you were approached by someone and asked to register under suspicious circumstances, please contact the Lancaster County Detectives at 717-299-8100. The full recording of the press conference can be found HERE. ### Created Oct 25th, 2024 @ 4:34 PM

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/da/11617/post/lancaster-county-board-elections-district-attorney-hold-press-conference-attempted-voter