‘Nothing Has Changed,’ PA Elections Chief Says After President’s Mail-In Ballot Order

By Whitney Downard | Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Amid a national legal battle over the use of mail-in voting ahead of this year’s midterm elections, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said Wednesday that Pennsylvanians should be confident in the state’s election process and security.

“The Department of State remains committed to ensuring another free, fair, safe and secure election this November, and fighting any unlawful federal overreach into our elections,” Schmidt continued. “Despite the federal government’s attempts, and while we recognize that litigation is ongoing, nothing has changed about Pennsylvania’s mail ballot voting laws.”

Each of the state’s 67 counties oversees elections in their jurisdiction, he added, including preparing, proofing, printing and mailing ballots. Some ballots for overseas and military voters have already been mailed. 

Nearly two million Pennsylvanians used mail-in ballots in 2024, compared to 5 million others who voted in person. President Donald Trump, who votes by mail, continued his attack on the popular method ahead of a critical midterm election and directed the U.S. Postal Service to restrict mail-in voting — a move that some argue usurps Constitutional, congressional and state authority.

A federal judge paused the ruling while litigation continues, giving the U.S. Supreme Court time to weigh in. However, a whistleblower revealed last week that the federal agency is moving forward with developing the tools to comply with Trump’s order. 

The “new and onerous” requirements, including unique barcodes on ballot envelopes, “add nothing to election integrity,” Schmidt said. “The currently blocked USPS action is not lawful, and the Shapiro administration will challenge any such efforts that seeks to prevent eligible voters from voting, whether in person or by mail.” 

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Earlier this summer, Schmidt rebutted a U.S. Department of Homeland Security claim that the state had upwards of 14,000 noncitizens registered to vote, emphasizing that noncitizen voting is “extremely rare.” He said the agency had yet to provide “any written or detailed description of the methodology they used to support its claims.”

Last week, two noncitizens were charged with voting in Pennsylvania’s 2024 election out of the millions of ballots cast. Many of these cases typically happen because of software malfunctions or administrative errors at state agencies, according to Votebeat. 

Some Trump administration officials have “left open the possibility of troops or officers being at the polls,” according to CNN, including ICE. That would be prohibited by both state and federal laws, Schmidt added, with Pennsylvania Election Code limiting officers from being within 100 feet of a polling place unless they are voting, serving a warrant or preventing distributions that interfere with voting. 

“Let me be clear: my office expects everyone working in, voting in or observing polling places to follow the law,” continued Schmidt. “Voters should rest assured that their state and local election officials will not tolerate voter intimidation or election interference of any kind.”

Schmidt, a Republican and former Philadelphia city commissioner, was attacked by Trump online following his 2020 loss. Schmidt later testified before Congress about the Trump campaign’s false claims about voter fraud in that election. 

“As an election official with 15 years of experience in county and state election administration, I can say with the utmost confidence that Pennsylvania’s elections are safe and secure, but the potential spread of misinformation and disinformation about elections is one of my biggest concerns,” said Schmidt. “There are unfortunately bad faith actors who spread disinformation in the hope of suppressing voter turnout and undermining public confidence in our electoral system.” 

He instead urged voters to trust official sources, such as their county offices and the Pennsylvania Department of State. 

The state agency is scheduled to provide weekly updates up until the Nov. 3 election and Schmidt said there would be a dashboard published after counties begin mailing ballots. 

Voters can request a mail-in ballot at their local county office until Oct. 27. Ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.