Hey, Harrisburg - Take Us Back To In Person Voting - Now.
“We must pass critical election integrity reforms including universal voter ID, citizenship confirmation, no more fake drop boxes…”
“Ultimately, we need same-day voting with only paper ballots…”
“Republicans in the state legislature need to get to work immediately to kill Act 77…”
Donald Trump, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, September 3, 2022
Donald Trump gets it. Speaking in Pennsylvania on Saturday he was about as clear as he could be in addressing Republicans in the state legislature directly and demanding that they act to end mail-in voting and take the state back to in-person voting, on election day with ID, hard copy ballots, and proof of citizenship. In making his comments Trump echoed virtually word for word the Election Integrity Declaration adopted by the Pennsylvania Patriot Coalition, a confederation of over one hundred Patriot groups across the Commonwealth.
Meanwhile, in the alternate universe of the state legislature, the GOP leadership that controls both houses is doing exactly nothing about any of these issues. With the general election right around the corner, Pennsylvania is poised to conduct this next election using exactly the same procedures that it did last time around.
Einstein supposedly said that the definition of insanity was continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. By that definition, the GOP lawmakers in Harrisburg are stark, raving mad.
Kim Ward is the Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania Senate, which is under Republican control. Her most recent newsletter emailed to her constituents includes information on webinars for new hunters and support for young farmers. It says nothing at all about election reform or saving the republic.
Getting young people to stay on the farm is important. Teaching people how to handle firearms safely is also a worthy cause. Stopping the ongoing theft of our elections and restoring trust in our institutions might also be something worth focusing on. That was absent from her newsletter.
Representative Kerry Benninghoff is Ward’s counterpart in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives where Republicans are also in control. Benninghoff’s postings on social media show him spending a lot of time at county fairs, posing for pictures with dairy princesses and the like, and pushing things like “Free License Plate Replacement Day.”
There is nothing wrong with any of that. Keeping family farms afloat is important. Providing constituent services is part of a state representative’s job. Benninghoff is to be applauded for putting in the time to address these things.
Nowhere, though, is there any real attention to the burning issue of the day – the loss of faith in our elections. The Democratic Party began in the last general election cycle an all-out assault on the electoral process. Overwhelmingly, the base of the Republican Party believes that the 2020 election was stolen and that the next election will be too.
And, as that train comes barreling down the tracks, we are sitting motionless, waiting to get run over and see what is left of our faith in the electoral process be vaporized. The base is screaming for action. Kim Ward and Kerry Benninghoff and the rest of their crew are posing for pictures at antique car shows and wishing everyone a Happy Labor Day.
Senator Doug Mastriano, the GOP nominee for Governor in Pennsylvania, has signed on to the Election Integrity Declaration demanding a return to in-person voting. President Trump has weighed in and made clear that the state legislature must end the mad experiment with mail-in voting and take us back to in-person voting, with hard ballots, ID, and proof of citizenship on election day. The vast majority of the members of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania want the same things.
And, yet, somehow off in the weird, timeless bubble of Harrisburg, the GOP leadership drifts along in a haze oblivious to all of this. It has been clear to most people in the Patriot movement for a long time that GOP leadership in Harrisburg seems to be composed of members of a radically different political party. Now it increasingly seems that they may be from another world.
Hey, Harrisburg, sorry to disturb you. It’s us the people. If you can squeeze it in between baby-kissing and lunch with lobbyists, how about you take us back to in-person voting and hard-copy ballots? Now.
Pennsylvanias people have the most power to put pressure on their leaders! They are the ones who must stand up, call, confront , write and be very very persistent in their efforts to make this issue be The one that must be answered. Protests, sign waving, campaigning. Vote these people out!!
Agree completely. There must be a valid paper trail as well as ID. Keep the primaries for party only as well.