Donald Trump Sues Pennsylvania County for 'Turning Away Our Voters'

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has initiated legal action against a Pennsylvania county, accusing it of denying Republican voters access to apply for mail-in ballots. Michael Whatley, chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), announced the lawsuit against Bucks County at a Trump rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night. Whatley referred to it as a "huge" lawsuit following complaints of long lines and confusion on the final day to apply for on-demand mail-in ballots before the November 5 election.

Reports emerged on social media that some voters were turned away before the 5 p.m. deadline due to extended waiting times. Bucks County later addressed the issue on X (formerly Twitter), acknowledging a "miscommunication" that led to some voters being temporarily informed they couldn’t apply. However, the county clarified that all voters in line by the 5 p.m. cutoff were allowed to complete their ballot applications. These voters will receive their ballots by mail or can collect them later in the week. The county emphasized that ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Bucks County spokesperson James O'Malley confirmed that the county was aware of the potential legal filing but offered no further comment. Despite the lawsuit’s announcement, no court records of a filing against Bucks County were found as of Wednesday morning.

The confusion and subsequent legal action play into the GOP’s broader strategy to cast doubts on the election’s legitimacy. On Tuesday, the RNC stated that it had filed 130 lawsuits across 26 states leading up to Election Day. At the rally, Whatley accused Democratic officials of trying to impede Republican turnout, which he claimed was breaking early voting records across Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania, with its 19 Electoral College votes, is considered one of the most crucial battleground states in the 2024 election. Trump’s campaign appears poised to closely scrutinize and challenge the voting process there. The former president also took to X on Tuesday to allege election issues in other Pennsylvania counties, accusing York County of receiving "thousands" of potentially fraudulent voter registration forms and Lancaster County of having 2,600 falsified ballots and forms.

Local officials in both counties are investigating claims of fraudulent applications. Lancaster County officials stated they were examining 2,500 suspected fraudulent voter applications, describing it as an "organized effort." York County is similarly investigating an influx of suspicious voter registration forms.

Addressing Trump’s accusations, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro asserted during an interview with CNN that the former president was attempting to sow discord in preparation for contesting the election results. He expressed confidence in Pennsylvania’s election integrity, emphasizing that the state would uphold a "free and fair, safe, and secure election."

Bob Harvie, chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners, told ABC News that the county was prepared for additional legal challenges, having faced 11 lawsuits since the 2020 election. In that election, President Joe Biden won Bucks County by approximately five percentage points.