Photo: Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar
By: Todd Bartley, TalkWilliamsport.com
News@TalkWilliamsport.com
According to an internal document provided to Wendy Bell by an anonymous whistleblower, the following is a new directive of the PA Department of State:
“Ballots that lack a postmark or other proof of mailing, or for which the postmark or other proof of mailing is illegible, are presumed to have been mailed by Tues., Nov. 3, 2020, and are valid and must be counted, unless a preponderance of the evidence demonstrates that the ballot was mailed after Nov. 3.”
This information appears under the paragraph, “Other than ballots falling into one of the categories set forth above, mail-in and civilian absentee ballots that comply with the Election Code and the Department’s prior guidance shall be canvassed as follows:”
This revelation came from a Canvassing-Segregated-Ballot-Guidance titled:
“CANVASSING SEGREGATED MAIL-IN AND CIVILIAN
ABSENTEE BALLOTS RECEIVED BY MAIL AFTER 8:00 P.M. ON
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020 AND BEFORE 5:00 P.M. ON
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2020
Date: November 1, 2020
Version: 1.0”
Does Version: 1.0 mean there is a chance to change the guidance on or after Election Day?
According to the anonymous whistleblower, “Not one county in PA is doing things the same way with regard to ballots. The Department of State issues new guidance almost daily and has made it virtually impossible for everyone to stay up to date on the most current guidance.”
On Monday Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine were sent scrambling when TalkWilliamsport.com posed the question regarding Pennsylvania voters in quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure.
Both Wolf Administration cabinet holders issued a joint press release.
PA Voters In Quarantine Due to a COVID-19 Exposure Should Contact Their County Elections Office to Make Arrangements to Vote
Harrisburg, Pa. – Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today reminded Pennsylvanians who are currently in quarantine due to COVID-19 to contact their County Elections Office for an emergency absentee ballot if they were planning to vote in person but now cannot.
“Every Pennsylvanian who is registered to vote will have the opportunity to do so,” Secretary Boockvar said. “There’s an emergency ballot provision under the law. If you can’t deliver your own balloting materials you can assign a designee to do that for you. And if you can’t find a designee, the law actually requires the county election office to have a Sheriff’s Deputy or some county official to deliver the balloting materials for the voter.”
The full press release is available here.
Former U.S. Attorney and U.S. Congressman for (PA-12) Tom Marino, offered this assessment of this situation in real time last evening on PA Patriots radio; “It’s outrageous! To me, it wreaks of a scheme to rig the election and that’s why we have to have so many people watching at the polls no matter where it’s at in this country. But, what the democrats are scared to death about this election.”
Marino added, “It’s the U.S. Attorney’s responsibility. We are assigned that, to assist as the position that we hold in each part of the state to make sure that if there is something that appears illegal then we as U.S. Attorneys we’re suppose to right there and moving forward with it, if we come to the conclusion that it is clearly illegal and fraudulent.”
Under the heading “Canvass Procedures”, the guidance goes onto state, “County boards of elections are instructed to maintain separate counts for each of the following categories of ballots: (i) ballots with a postmark on or before November 3, 2020 which are counted; (ii) ballots without a postmark (or with an illegible postmark) which are presumed to have been mailed prior to Election Day and which are counted; and (iii) ballots without a postmark (or with an illegible postmark) which are determined by a preponderance of the evidence to have been mailed after Election Day and which are not counted.”
Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday morning to discuss the general election.
