DOJ's 2020 Voting Equipment Request: Pennsylvania Official Responds

DOJ's Request for Voting Equipment Access

• 🏛️ The Trump administration's Justice Department requested access to voting equipment in two Missouri counties used in the 2020 election.
• 🗳️ This equipment was manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems, a company that has been the subject of false conspiracy theories.

Pennsylvania's Response and Legal Stance

• 🛡️ Pennsylvania's Secretary of the Commonwealth, Al Schmidt, rejected a similar request from the Justice Department.
• ⚖️ Pennsylvania state law and its Constitution prohibit sharing sensitive voter personal information, such as Social Security and driver's license numbers.
• 🚫 The state respectfully declined to provide personal information for 8.8 million registered voters.

Federal vs. State Election Administration

• 🌐 The Secretary emphasized that states, not the federal government, administer elections in the United States.
• 🤝 He stressed that protecting voter information is a non-partisan issue, with states across the political spectrum upholding this principle.

Concerns Over Federal Overreach

• 📈 The request is viewed as an unprecedented attempt to consolidate election administration at the federal level, which is concerning.
• ✅ Governor Shapiro has affirmed that election integrity in Pennsylvania will not be interfered with.

Pennsylvania's Election Security Measures

• 📄 Every vote in Pennsylvania is cast on a voter-verifiable paper ballot, either hand-marked or ballot-marked.
• 🔍 These paper records are used in post-election audits, ensuring that Pennsylvania's elections are secure and fair.