Nov. 09, 2020
HAZLETON – Rep. Tarah Toohil (R-Luzerne) issued the following statement regarding the mail-in ballot system that was used in the Nov. 3 general election:
“The barrage of mail-in ballots destroyed the function of in-person voting as we have known it. Many in-person voters were unable to vote because of polling stations running out of paper provisional ballots and workers being untrained in how they are supposed to spoil mail-ins and allow in-person votes to be cast. We know of many instances where in-person voters were turned away and were told they had to continue to use the mail-in system.
“All of the emphasis in this election was on the mail-in ballots, which are extremely labor intensive. The barrage of mail-in ballots strained election staff, many of whom were not adequately trained. Many had been hired just the day before. County employees were redeployed to physically move, sort and prep for pre-canvassing. The complete focus on mail-on ballots left the in-person voting system as we know it to be forever changed.
“Under
Act 77 of 2019, over $70 million in state money was spent on new voting machines with added security to create the safest election possible. But in reality, in-person voting became the most understaffed and obstructed system imaginable.
“My office is being inundated with phone calls from constituents with questions about the integrity of the mail-in ballot system, their personal voting experience at the polls and the counting of ballots. Constituents are calling with many different personal experiences where they feel that their vote was not counted.
“If you are a constituent who was sent an unsolicited mail-in ballot or a mail-in ballot without a secrecy envelope, please report this. Also, if you are a constituent who is in possession of the
8x10 paper printout of your ballot from the polls, please contact us. This means that you did not cast your ballot at the polls.
“We are asking constituents to double document their experiences and concerns with our office at 570-453-1344 or email us at ttoohil@pahousegop.com. Together we will ensure that complaints are followed up on and investigated.”
For more information on Toohil and her legislative priorities, please visit
RepToohil.com or
Facebook.com/RepToohil.
Representative Tarah Toohil
116th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Contact: Rep. Toohil’s Office
717-260-6136
RepToohil.com /
Facebook.com/RepToohil