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Hello, Pennsylvania!
I’ve got a scoop for you.
Hardcore PA election nerds will remember the Election Law Advisory Board, created in 2020 as a way to recommend reforms to the legislature on our outdated election code. You’ve probably wondered, as I have: Whatever happened to them? They haven’t held a meeting since September 2023.
Well, the answer in part lies with Gov. Josh Shapiro, emails and interviews showed us. Seven congressional districts are waiting for a member to be appointed by the governor. While the board technically could still form a quorum with the 15 members left, it is worried that it is too close to the threshold to allow for absences, and that a large portion of the state would be unrepresented in discussions. Check out the story here.
Fact-Check
President Donald Trump was in the Lehigh Valley this week for a rally and opened his remarks by talking about elections. He said that he won Pennsylvania “by a landslide” and that he “got more votes than any candidate in the history of Pennsylvania.”
“Landslide” is subjective. His win over Kamala Harris in 2024 was less than 2% in a state where we have seen recent statewide margins of victory in the double digits. But he’s right that he received more votes in total than any other candidate in the history of the state. The 3,543,308 votes he got in 2024 was a high-water mark for the state.
However, he preceded this statement by falsely claiming that the state’s elections were rigged and that “they cheat like hell.” Audits, court cases, and even former Trump Department of Justice officials have affirmed there is no large-scale election fraud going on in the state.
Quote of the Week
“Seven in ten.”
This week’s quote comes from an unconventional source, at least for us: a poll. That’s how many voters in Pennsylvania want legislative districts to be drawn by an independent redistricting commission, according to Franklin and Marshall’s latest poll. A majority also opposed the redistricting that’s been happening in other states.
What else should I look into? You can always reach me by email at [email protected], on X @ByCarterWalker, or on Bluesky @bycarterwalker.bsky.social. Follow me on TikTok and Instagram for video explainers of Pennsylvania voting and elections news.
And if you know someone who might be interested in our reporting on elections and voting throughout Pennsylvania, forward them this newsletter — they can sign up for it here.
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The Big Story
Bipartisan election board languishing as governor fails to appoint new members
The Pennsylvania legislature created the Election Law Advisory Board in 2020, but it hasn’t met since 2023. Gov. Josh Shapiro hasn’t appointed new members from seven congressional districts.
Our Latest Stories
Students across Pennsylvania step up on Election Day to keep democracy working
Pennsylvania allows 17-year-olds to be poll workers, so high school students help run elections in counties around the state, including hundreds in the 2026 primary.
New study finds that ballot curing helps more mail ballots get counted
A UPenn study of the 2024 election in Pennsylvania found notifying voters of mail ballot errors significantly reduced the share of rejected votes.
Pennsylvania primary goes smoothly despite a few incidents
There were few disruptions to voting in Pennsylvania’s 2026 primary election despite hot weather, an explosion in Lehigh County, and late results in Allegheny County.
In Other Voting News
Poll worker appeals removal from polling place for improper conduct, Scranton Times Tribune
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