Fact check: Trump, allies push allegations of election 'cheating' in Pennsylvania

With nether a week to spell until Election Day, erstwhile President Donald Trump and his friends are making aggregate allegations of fraud aliases misconduct astir battleground Pennsylvania -- and while immoderate isolated issues person emerged, predetermination officials are pushing backmost connected immoderate proposal that location are deliberate efforts underway to suppress nan vote.

On Tuesday, Trump escalated those claims, baselessly accusing nan authorities successful a societal media station of "cheating, and getting caught, astatine ample standard levels."

Here is simply a deeper look astatine immoderate claims.

Woman arrested successful Delaware County?

Late Monday evening, nan Trump run sent retired an email blast claiming that a elector successful Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was "arrested for encouraging group to enactment successful statement and vote" aft predetermination officials allegedly told voters to time off and frankincense were "actively suppressing" their voting rights. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley besides shared a video of nan incident connected societal media, claiming it was a "supporter of President Trump" who was removed.

In a statement, Delaware County pushed backmost connected that declare and applauded predetermination officials connected nan ground, saying successful a connection that aggregate eyewitnesses characterized nan female arsenic being "disruptive, belligerent, and attempting to power voters waiting successful line."

That behavior, nan connection said, led to respective complaints, and nan Delaware County Park Police providing information astatine nan location responded.

In an updated connection connected Wednesday, region officials said nan female "did not get successful statement for immoderate service," remained successful nan lobby for astir 2 hours, and "approached various individuals," prompting complaints. Park Police past "provided her pinch verbal guidance connected due behaviour and allowed her to stay successful nan lobby," nan connection said, aft which she was asked to time off aft further complaints, but "refused."

The region said nan matter "remains an progressive criminal investigation."

"We return voting authorities very earnestly successful Delaware County," said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. "Voters person a correct to participate successful our populist without being harassed aliases intimidated, and we applaud our Park Police for calming nan disturbance and allowing voting to proceed without disruption."

The female later appeared successful a video connected societal media pinch Whatley, saying, "I tried to get nan ballot out" but was arrested "for exercising my First Amendment right."

A spokesperson for nan region said nan female was "briefly detained, and was issued a citation for disorderly conduct."

Registration fraud successful Lancaster and York counties?

On societal media, Trump has personally raised elector fraud claims successful Lancaster County and York County.

The erstwhile president is correct successful a consciousness -- officials successful Lancaster County said they stopped what whitethorn person been imaginable elector registration fraud. But connected Truth Social, Trump claimed Lancaster County was "caught" pinch clone ballots and forms -- a declare that distorts an lawsuit that officials successful Pennsylvania are promoting arsenic an illustration of their information systems moving properly.

Former President and Republican statesmanlike campaigner Donald Trump speaks astatine a run rally astatine nan PPL Center successful Allentown, Pa., connected Oct. 29, 2024.

Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

ABC News previously reported that officials successful Lancaster County said they stopped imaginable incidents of elector registration fraud conscionable weeks earlier nan statesmanlike election. The Lancaster County Board of Elections said successful a connection that astir 2,500 suspected fraudulent elector registration applications were dropped disconnected astatine nan predetermination agency successful 2 batches astir nan deadline to register. The committee said "concerns were raised" during nan normal reappraisal process and rule enforcement was alerted.

Notably, nan committee said successful its connection that nan fraud was "identified and contained," and is lauding this incident arsenic 1 that shows that nan predetermination "system is secure."

"Our strategy worked," nan committee declared. "We will proceed to run pinch nan highest levels of veracity, integrity, and transparency truthful that Lancaster County voters tin beryllium assured successful our election."

Trump successful his station besides said York County besides received "THOUSANDS" of perchance fraudulent registrations and ballot applications.

In a statement, though, York County officials said they were still investigating. The York County Commissioner confirmed they had received a "large delivery" pinch registration forms and mail-in ballot applications, and that they are successful nan process of looking astatine their legality.

If fraud is identified, nan connection said, they would alert nan authorities.

"We are committed to ensuring nan integrity, information and information of our elections," said York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler successful nan statement.

People removed from nan statement successful Bucks County?

A Pennsylvania judge connected Wednesday swiftly granted a petition from nan Trump run and ordered a three-day hold to Bucks County's in-person mail-in-ballot deadline -- extending it to nan extremity of nan time connected Friday, Nov. 1.

The run had only asked for a one-day extension. The deadline was Tuesday astatine 5 p.m.

In his one-page order, Judge Jeffrey Trauger wrote that nan region violated Pennsylvania Election Code aft "turning distant voters who sought to use for a mail-in ballot and person 1 successful personification earlier nan deadline."

He ordered nan region to let anyone who wishes to "apply for, receive, vote, and return a mail-in ballot" earlier nan adjacent of business connected Friday.

The ruling was a triumph for nan RNC and nan Trump campaign, which revenge a suit revenge against nan Bucks County Board of Elections and others, seeking a one-day hold to nan mail-in ballot petition deadline by claiming that voters were "turned away, and forced by information to leave" while attempting to use successful personification for a mail-in ballot.

The suit included signed declarations from 3 individuals who declare they were turned distant Tuesday afternoon.

"In Bucks County, we judge powerfully successful elector enfranchisement," region officials said successful a connection pursuing nan ruling. "In accordance pinch today’s tribunal ruling, we are pleased to beryllium capable to connection further days for those who are still seeking to ballot on-demand."

Multiple Trump friends posted a video Tuesday day that they said shows rule enforcement shutting down nan statement astatine a polling spot successful Bucks County earlier 3 p.m., moreover though nan statement was expected to beryllium unfastened until 5 p.m.

The viral societal media posts -- racking up hundreds of thousands of views -- came aft respective local reports documented agelong lines and officials cutting disconnected lines successful Bucks County, starring to immoderate vexation from voters and salient Republicans alike.

In a statement, connected Tuesday, nan region officials pushed backmost connected immoderate proposal that what occurred successful Bucks County amounts to intentional elector suppression, arsenic Trump's friends claimed, saying, "Contrary to what is being depicted connected societal media, if you are successful statement by 5 p.m. for an on-demand mail-in ballot application, you will person nan opportunity to taxable your exertion for a mail-in ballot."

"That ballot will past beryllium mailed to nan elector aliases tin beryllium picked up by nan elector later this week," nan connection said.

The region acknowledged that location was so immoderate "miscommunication" from officials on-site. Those successful statement applying for an on-demand ballot were "briefly told they could not beryllium accommodated," nan region said, but added that those individuals were yet allowed to taxable their applications.

In a station connected X, nan Secretary of State's agency echoed that sentiment, asking for voters to "be patient."

"Earlier today, we said pinch Bucks County predetermination officials who assured america that each registered elector who goes to their region predetermination agency by 5 p.m. coming will beryllium provided an opportunity to use for their message ballot," nan station said. "Please beryllium diligent pinch each region predetermination agency unit arsenic they activity difficult to guarantee each registered elector is capable to ballot successful this election."

Overall, nan spokesperson for Bucks County said, these issues bespeak nan reality and disorder surrounding alleged "early voting" successful nan state: dissimilar immoderate different states, Pennsylvania does not person a cut-and-dry "early voting" period-- instead, it has on-demand in-person voting, during which voters tin spell to a polling place, petition a ballot, capable it out, and return it connected nan spot.

"The Board of Elections agency is not a polling place. On-demand in-person mail-in ballots are not early voting. This work is offered arsenic a courtesy to voters because we person nan instrumentality to do so," region spokesperson James O'Malley told nan Pennsylvania Star.

"We are happy to accommodate arsenic galore voters arsenic we can, but nan truth remains that this is not a polling spot and our unit needs to beryllium allowed clip to fulfill their different duties successful furtherance of carrying retired nan election," O'Malley said.