The ongoing investigation into fraudulent voter registration forms in multiple Pennsylvania counties has prompted Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams to refer the case to the state Attorney General’s office.
This comes as similar issues were reported in Lancaster, Monroe, and York counties, with the potential for widespread voter fraud. Adams noted that the case’s multi-county nature justified the referral, especially as the state Attorney General’s office has original jurisdiction over the Pennsylvania Election Code.
The initial alerts came in late October when Lancaster County reported receiving 2,500 questionable voter registration forms, sparking investigations in Berks, Monroe, York, and Lehigh counties.
While some forms included inaccurate information, specific details were not disclosed. In response, local district attorneys began reviewing the forms, with Lancaster County confirming the receipt of forms from several voter registration groups that may have engaged in improper practices.
Lehigh County’s District Attorney, Gavin Holihan, has indicated that his office does not anticipate criminal charges related to the forms but noted that the issue may be part of a larger, systemic problem with how voter registration groups operate, especially if incentives to collect high numbers of registrations led to errors or fraudulent submissions.
Holihan has yet to contact the Attorney General’s office, but he plans to notify them of his findings.
The situation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud during an election cycle, especially with the close timing to the Nov. 5 general election and the transition in the Attorney General’s office, as incoming Republican Dave Sunday is set to replace Democrat Michelle Henry.