Hello, Pennsylvania!

All eyes are on the nation’s capital right now as the U.S. Senate struggles to pass the SAVE America Act, and I for one am happy to have the attention temporarily off the Keystone State. I’m sure it will soon return as November approaches.

With the reprieve, now seems like a good opportunity to bring back some sections to this newsletter we had prior to the 2024 election. Back then, we were publishing weekly, and including fact-checks, a quote of the week, and updates on lawsuits. While we’re still sticking to the biweekly publishing schedule, my impression was that you all really appreciated those little bonuses, so we’re bringing them back.

Before we get into it, you’ll notice the newsletter looks a little different this week. Let me know what you think here.

That advice comes courtesy of Charlie Gerow, a well-known Harrisburg-based GOP strategist who spoke with Politico earlier this week about the potential downsides of President Donald Trump’s insistence on relitigating the 2020 election.

Gerow is one of many Republicans worried that Trump’s continued focus on the 2020 election could backfire on the party this November. 

State senator and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano was well known, and attacked by opponents, for his role in post-election challenges and attempted audits of the 2020 election. While there were many factors in the race, he and other candidates who questioned the 2020 election lost that year, and the Republicans in the Politico article may be thinking back to those examples.

Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced charges against a Philadelphia man, who is not a citizen, for voting in the 2024 election. In his tweet about the case, he said: “Illegal aliens can and do vote in federal elections. Our office has prosecuted numerous such cases in the last several months alone.”

Perhaps this is not strictly a fact check — the definition of “numerous” is more a matter of opinion — but I could find only one other instance of Metcalf’s office charging a noncitizen with voting in a federal election in the last few months.

DOJ vs. PA Department of State

As you know, the U.S. Department of Justice has been trying to compel states to provide unredacted copies of their voter files, which includes partial Social Security and driver’s license numbers. Pennsylvania is one of the 29 states the Justice Department has sued for the information. The Department of State says it cannot turn over the information since it would violate voters’ privacy rights, and it is seeking to dismiss the suit. The judge in the case has yet to rule on that order. 

Mail ballot dating case

Yes, yes, I know. You’re wondering which one, since there are always so many. Here I’m referring to Baxter v. Philadelphia, which used a state constitutional argument to challenge the requirement that mail ballot return envelopes have a handwritten date in order for the ballot inside to be counted. The latest update here is that … we have no update: We are still waiting for the state Supreme Court to issue an opinion after the case was argued last September. Catch up here if you need a refresher.

Election Truth Alliance vs. PA Department of State

We haven’t covered this case in a story, but it’s one I’ve been keeping an eye on. The Election Truth Alliance claims that an analysis it performed showed “statistical anomalies” in the 2024 election and is asking the court to, among other relief requests, force the state and counties to explain the alleged discrepancies and to hand-count ballots to prove the accuracy of its voting machines. Allegheny County has sought to dismiss the case, but that motion is on pause while an outside party asks permission to file an amicus brief and the Election Truth Alliance seeks to file a second amended complaint.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You’re a real fan of our work. As a reward, here’s a sneak peak of what we’re working on next. Do you recall in 2023 when Gov. Josh Shapiro moved the state’s motor-voter system to an automatic voter registration model? I’m curious what the data on voters who registered through that program would show in terms of their geographic distribution and turnout rates. Maybe if you reread the quotes from our October 2023 story you might find a hint.

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.

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.

You're invited: Join Votebeat next week for a virtual event on how the Trump administration could impact the 2026 midterms. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, and former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, a Republican, will discuss the many implications of the Trump administration’s push for increased federal oversight of elections, including how this affects the 2026 midterm elections and beyond. Save your seat here.

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