Pennsylvania’s Chief Election Officer Addresses Queries on Misinformation, Voting Machines, and Other Topics

A Spotlight on Pennsylvania’s Elections: An Insight by Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt

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Dealing with Misinformation and Ensuring Voting Machine Security

As the primary election (April 23) approaches, Pennsylvania’s top election officer answered queries about misinformation, voting machine security, and more. Joining Spotlight PA’s Kate Huangpu and Votebeat’s Carter Walker for a live event in March, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt discussed building trust in elections. If you missed it, watch the conversation here.

Insights from Secretary Al Schmidt

Below, we share Schmidt’s answers to some questions asked during the event, along with answers he provided via email to five questions we couldn’t cover during the event.

Building Trust in Elections

Question from Carter Walker (Votebeat): You mentioned that the departure of experienced local voting officials is one of the biggest threats to our election. Could you shed light on the department’s new training for election officials?

The Secretary responded that one of the largest challenges not only in Pennsylvania but across the country is the turnover among the people responsible for running elections at the county level. This has led to the creation of a new training team by the Department of State to provide training to election administrators across Pennsylvania.

Election Threats Task Force

Question from Kate Huangpu (Spotlight PA): Could you tell us a bit about the Election Threats Task Force, its role, its members, and how it will impact Election Day?

The Task Force is primarily designed to improve communication among those responsible for running elections and law enforcement, especially in case of threats or disruptions. The Task Force is a response to incidents such as those encountered in 2020.

Dealing with Misinformation

Question from Carter Walker: Mis- and disinformation were major sources of confusion and interference in the 2020 election. Could you talk about how the department plans to address these issues this year?

Secretary Schmidt emphasized the importance of communicating the truth about elections and ensuring voters have access to accurate, trustworthy information.

Voting Machine Certification

Question from Glenn H. (submitted question): How does the state ensure all voting machines are certified and up to date? What does this process look like, and who is responsible?

Secretary Schmidt provided assurance that all voting systems used in Pennsylvania are certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and approved for use by his office. He added that all counties are required to conduct pre-election logic and accuracy (L&A) testing.

Voter Registration Verification

Question from Paul S. (submitted question): What steps are each county’s voter registration department taking to verify claims to U.S. citizenship made on voter applications?

The Secretary explained that all counties follow the verification processes set out in the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which include checks in state and federal databases.

Impact of Court Decision on Mail-in Ballots

Question from Nell M. (submitted question): How does the Third Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent decision on undated mail-in ballots in PA affect voters choosing this option, and how will it influence the process of counting votes and election results?

Secretary Schmidt reiterated that voters must sign and write the current date on their outer envelope for their vote to be counted. He also spoke about efforts to improve mail ballot materials and encourage counties to notify voters of errors so they can be corrected.

Status of Vote Curing Process

Question from Jim Leous (submitted question): What is the current status of the vote curing process? Is it inconsistent at the county level? Is it still under legal consideration?

According to Secretary Schmidt, counties are encouraged (but not required) to alert voters who have made minor errors so that the errors can be corrected to allow their ballot to be counted.

Ensuring Secure Elections

Question from Susan Fudurich (submitted question): I am confident the machines are reliable. Will there be further instructions about the chain of custody of USB drives, etc.?

The Secretary highlighted that the department’s Election Directors Training Team covers important Election Day topics, including best practices for managing critical election infrastructure, such as storage and management of USB drives.

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