PA State Senator Wants Arizona-Style Vote Audit In State

Pittsburgh PA

07 July, 2021

2:21 PM

Description

HARRISBURG, PA - A Pennsylvania state senator closely aligned with former President Donald Trump has asked several unspecified counties in the state to submit to a forensic investigation of the 2020 general election and May's primary election. Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County, chair of the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee, said Wednesday in a post on his website that the necessity for such a probe is "evident to any unbiased observer." His comments came despite there being no county election board or state official claiming any widespread voter fraud in the state in November's election. "Millions of Pennsylvanians have serious doubts about the accuracy of the 2020 general election," he said. "A January poll from Muhlenberg University showed that 40 percent of Pennsylvania voters are not confident that the results of the 2020 Election accurately reflected how Pennsylvanians voted. Discounting or mocking their concerns is neither an answer nor proper in this constitutional republic." Mastriano said he has given the counties he contacted until July 31 to come up with a plan to comply with his investigation request. With a majority vote of his committee, Mastriano potentially could issue subpoenas to any counties that miss the deadline. Mastriano and 63 other GOP state lawmakers signed a statement last December asking Congress to block Pennsylvania's electoral votes from being cast for Joe Biden. During the Jan. 6, Capitol riot, Mastriano was photographed outside the building but later said he did not enter it. President Biden received 3,458,229 votes in Pennsylvania to Trumps 3, 377,674 and captured the state's 20 electoral votes. Biden's victory in Pennsylvania won the presidency for him. Mastriano said the goal of his investigation is not to overturn the results of the election, but asserted it is necessary for the sake of transparency and accountability. "There is nothing to fear if there is nothing to hide," he said. " Those who have concerns about the integrity of the 2020 and 2021 election will have those concerns investigated and hopefully addressed. Those who think that there was zero voter fraud, no irregularities, and that the elections were conducted perfectly will have the chance to be vindicated."