LANCASTER COUNTY
Joshua G. Parsons ▪ Ray D’Agostino ▪ Alice Yoder
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
Heather L. Adams, Esq.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
JOINT STATEMENT
October 25, 2024
CONTACT: Michael Fitzpatrick, Communications Director
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.
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