The Pennsylvania Democratic Party’s recent lawsuit against Erie County over delayed and incorrect mail ballots underscores growing concerns about the “new normal” in American elections, where mail-in ballots and drop boxes are increasingly relied upon. Filed Wednesday, the suit alleges that administrative errors and logistical failures have left many voters without ballots, raising questions about the integrity and reliability of the current system.
In Erie County, a critical swing area in Pennsylvania, only 52% of mail ballots had been returned by Monday, a far lower rate than other parts of the state. The lawsuit claims county officials sent wrong ballots to hundreds of voters and have yet to deliver thousands more. This low return rate, coupled with alleged mishaps, has led the Democrats to ask the court to compel county officials to provide a list of voters who still need ballots as of Oct. 22 and allow these voters to obtain ballots in person through Nov. 4.
Pennsylvania Democrats File Suit Over Ballot Delays in Erie County https://t.co/jEHbLdTxd4
A lawsuit said that many voters had not received their mail-in ballots, and that return rates in the county lagged far behind the state average.
— Sean Graf (@seangraf) October 31, 2024
The situation in Erie is just one example of vulnerabilities in the mail-in voting system. Concerns have escalated nationally, especially after recent arson attacks on ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington. In the Pacific Northwest, an unidentified suspect set fires at drop box locations in Portland and Vancouver, Washington, destroying nearly 500 ballots in one incident alone. Authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security, have warned that these attacks could continue and are part of a broader threat involving incendiary devices aimed at disrupting elections.
Police are reporting explosive devices being put in Ballot Drop Boxes in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington.
Hundreds of voter ballots have been burned as a result of Antifa putting explosives in Drop Boxes and they call us fascists and radicals? pic.twitter.com/UF9OCDirmX
— Rob (@_ROB_29) October 28, 2024
As Pennsylvania remains a key battleground state, incidents like these highlight the potential weaknesses of mail-in voting and drop boxes. The growing reliance on these systems, initially adopted to ease voting access, now faces scrutiny as issues like ballot security and voter disenfranchisement become more prevalent in American elections.
