Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect denials about alleged voting irregularities from Philadelphia officials, and subsequent actions taken by Twitter. The headline has been changed to reflect the origin of the allegations.
Election Day kicked off with a bout of chaos in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with reports of poll watchers being denied access.
According to Trump 2020 Election Day Operations Director Mike Roman, Democrat election officials were banning Trump poll watchers all across the city, as one video shows. Another photo on social media shows a physical barrier, which Roman says Democrat officials were using to keep poll watchers far from the counting tables:
🚨DEMOCRAT ELECTION OFFICIALS BANNING TRUMP POLL WATCHERS IN PHILLY. This is happening all over the City. The steal is on! https://t.co/sWS9lXL5vh
— Mike Roman (@mikeroman) November 3, 2020
Here’s the poll watcher’s certificate
It makes clear that it allows the holder to watch at any polling place in the city pic.twitter.com/0lRgIFekKg
— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) November 3, 2020
Philadelphia City Commissioners spokesperson Kevin Feeley acknowledged that the poll watcher in the video was denied entry by mistake and was later admitted. In a ProPublica article, Feeley, who previously served in Democrat Mayor Ed Rendell’s administration, disputed Roman’s allegations that Republican poll watchers were denied entry at polls all over the city, calling them “nonsense.” However, in the article Feeley did not address numerous additional allegations of the same nature from the Philly GOP.
Certified Republican poll watchers are being kicked out of Mitchum Wilson Funeral Home, Wharton Rec Center, AND Greater Mt. Sinai Baptist Church. Watchers are told their certification doesn’t mean anything. @CouncilmemberKJ , what’s going on in your district?
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
Polls have been open for an hour and voters are STILL locked out of the polling place at Welsh Road Library. Why don’t they want people to vote?
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
When Stephen Moore tweeted about concerns that observation of absentee ballot processing was being blocked, Twitter subsequently responded with a label about election security, insisting, “Experts and fact-checkers have continued to assure American voters that voting by mail is a safe and secure option, especially in the middle of a pandemic.”
Troubling news in @Allegheny_Co,PA. Election officials blocking observation of absentee ballot processing. One official at site allegedly boasts the system is designed to block ballot observation. Source says observers fear integrity is compromise. @KerriKupecDOJ #Election2020
— Stephen Moore (@StephenMoore) November 3, 2020
There were other alleged instances of illegal campaigning at various polling locations. Roman provided an image of a man in blue purportedly distributing Democrat literature to voters as they stood in line to cast their ballots. Though Twitter responded with a “Manipulated media” label on the tweet, clicking on the label takes readers to a refutation that has nothing to do with the allegation in question:
ILLEGAL campaigning INSIDE of a polling location in Philly. Man in blue is handing out DEM literature to voters IN LINE TO VOTE. This is why DEMS are keeping TRUMP WATCHERS OUT. They are STEALING it! This needs to STOP! pic.twitter.com/qnJ3D8o2ie
— Mike Roman (@mikeroman) November 3, 2020
Spotted at the Olney Recreation Center:
Reading is important, but friendly reminder: handing out election literature in polling places is ILLEGAL. #StopTheSteal #FreeAndFairElections pic.twitter.com/wjEuDTDYNM
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
One Twitter user posted a photo of the building where he voted, showing a large poster of a Democrat sample ballot affixed near the entry. “This is our polling place in NE Philadelphia. Already a violation is in sight,” said @PublicSafetySME. Later Twitter shut down his account until he deleted the tweet.
The same Twitter user posted the images below showing the same Democrat poster on other polling places in his ward.
And its widespread. I checked the other polling places in our ward on the way home. pic.twitter.com/3CkkaF8Mza
— A. Benjamin Mannes (@PublicSafetySME) November 3, 2020
According to Twitter:
Photos of campaign posters at Philadelphia polling places are ‘deliberately deceptive,’ the city’s district attorney’s office says.
The office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner refuted claims of electoral law violations after a photograph of a pro-Democrat poster showing a sample ballot outside a polling station in Northeast Philadelphia was shared online. The photos were taken from separate polling places, according to NBC News, and BuzzFeed News reported that the poster in question was not hung within 10 feet of the polling place, which would be an illegal violation.
Guess someone forgot their headphones: this speaker is blasting anti-Trump music in earshot of people waiting to vote! #FreeAndFairElections pic.twitter.com/hYVlpl7QXO
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
SPOTTED: Ward 12, Division 4: Shrine of the Miraculous Medal: two people in the same voter booth! pic.twitter.com/g7Syb2RUAK
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
#FreeAndFairElections #StopTheSteal https://t.co/ze8ONRkLnu
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
Additionally, there were reports of polling locations opening late, forcing some voters to step out of line to return to work before casting their ballots:
🚨At least THREE polling places are reportedly not yet open — two in Philadelphia, one in Allegheny! Polls should have opened at 7:00! @PhillyVotes
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
What a coincidence. My friend, in the Republican part of Pennsylvania just called me. They are standing in line at the polling place that was supposed to open and is still not open. People leaving because they have to go to work. This is the BS we have been warning about.
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) November 3, 2020
According to the Philly GOP, in the first two hours of voting alone, they have received reports of “several reporting locations closed,” hundreds of voters stuck in line, ballot harvesting, and officials denying poll watchers access.
There were also unverified reports of voting machines down in Westmoreland and Philadelphia Counties, according to the Philly GOP:
Polls have been open for 2 hours in PA. Here’s what we’ve seen:
– Several reports of locations closed.
– 300+ people stuck in line.
– Ballot harvesting.
– Certified watchers being denied access.But sure, Republicans are the party trying to meddle in elections ¯_(ツ)_/¯
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
REPORT: Voting machines down in Westmoreland and Philadelphia Counties. Opposite sides of the state, both pro-Trump strongholds. #PAForTrump
— Philly GOP (@PhillyGOP) November 3, 2020
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) made waves over the weekend after declaring — three days before the election — that “if all the votes are added up in PA, Trump is going to lose.”
If all the votes are added up in PA, Trump is going to lose. That’s why he’s working overtime to subtract as many votes as possible from this process.
For the record, he’s 0-6 against us in court. We’ve protected voting rights. Now, ignore the noise—vote!https://t.co/mN8t6TDud7
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) October 31, 2020
Pennsylvania polls closed at 8 p.m., with 20 electoral votes up for grabs.
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