These are some of the steps Pennsylvania officials take to make sure elections are safe and secure

Baseless claims of election fraud by Donald Trump put Pennsylvania in the spotlight during the 2020 election. Before more ‘big lies’ materialize this campaign season, learn about the measures state officials take to protect democracy on Election Day.

Pennsylvania was a hotbed for baseless allegations about election fraud and failed lawsuits in an effort to undo Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the commonwealth and keep then-President Donald Trump in power.

In fact, the Trump campaign filed more post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania than in any other state. But they didn’t win a single one of them. Nine cases were dismissed, judges ruled against Trump’s campaign in two others, and one case was dropped. One law firm originally hired by the Trump campaign quit amid concerns they were being used to undermine the election.

As a pre-emptive strike against more baseless claims of election fraud in the 2024 election, earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro established the Pennsylvania Election Threats Task Force. It’s being led by his top election official, Secretary of State Al Schmidt, a Republican who received death threats as Philadelphia city commissioner in 2020 after being called out by Trump on social media.

Amy Gulli, director of communications for the Pennsylvania Department of State, said the task force is comprised of federal, state, and local security, law enforcement, and election administration partners, and has been meeting monthly to maintain clear lines of communication and share information needed to mitigate threats to the election process and protect voters from intimidation. 

According to Gulli, the task force is another example of how serious state officials are about ensuring election integrity with transparency and accountability.

“Dedicated election workers in our 67 counties, as well as dedicated employees at the State Department, take their duty to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process with utmost seriousness,” Gulli said. “Secretary of State Al Schmidt is committed to working with county election officials to keep Pennsylvania elections secure, ensure they are administered freely and fairly, and expand voting access so that every eligible voter can make their voice heard.”

Here are some of the other steps being taken in Pennsylvania to keep this year’s election safe and secure.

Voter list maintenance

As required by federal and state law, Pennsylvania counties are required to conduct voter list maintenance every year to ensure out-of-date registrations are removed from the voter rolls. 

Voting equipment certification

Federal and state experts test, examine, and certify all voting equipment as secure. Before deployment by counties, all equipment must be certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Pa. Department of State.

Safe storage of voting equipment

Election management systems, voting machines, and ballots are all stored in locked and secure facilities that can be accessed only by authorized personnel.

Equipment testing

Before voting begins each election, voting machines and tabulators must successfully pass logic and accuracy testing to ensure they work properly and have not been tampered with or manipulated.

Voters in all Pennsylvania counties utilize either hand-marked paper ballots or ballot-marking devices that allow them to review and verify their votes. The voter-verifiable paper trail is also used for post-election audits and recounts.

No county voting machines or tabulators are ever connected to the internet.

Post-election audits

Pennsylvania law requires every county to conduct post-election audits. Counties go through a process during the official canvass to reconcile ballots cast with the number of voters in each precinct. 

Bipartisan oversight

Each of Pennsylvania’s 67 county Boards of Elections are bipartisan with representatives from both the Democratic and Republican parties. 

Pennsylvania law requires that all precincts be staffed by a bipartisan group of poll workers. All candidates and parties are entitled to have certified watchers in every polling place and authorized observers at the central counting location.

Are you ready to vote? Make sure to check your voter registration status, see who’s on your ballot, and make a voting plan here.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.