Trump and His Supporters Intensify Claims of Election Fraud in Pennsylvania

Trump and his allies have made various claims of election fraud in Pennsylvania, but these allegations are largely based on misinformation, historical incidents, and lack of concrete evidence. Here are some key points from their claims and the actual context:

Historical Incidents

Trump and his allies often reference past election scandals in Philadelphia, such as the 1993 state Senate election between William Stinson and Bruce Marks. In this case, Stinson's campaign was involved in a scheme to submit illegitimate absentee ballots, which led to Stinson's win being vacated and Marks being appointed to the seat. However, this incident is over 30 years old and does not provide evidence of current or recent fraud

Absentee Ballot Issues

Trump has made claims about absentee ballot issues, but these claims are not supported by evidence. For example, he has suggested that COVID-19 was used as an excuse to cheat through absentee ballots. However, there has been no evidence to support the claim that fraud or cheating cost him any meaningful number of votes in the 2016 or 2020 elections

Zero Votes for Romney

Another debunked claim involves the assertion that in 59 precincts in Philadelphia, Mitt Romney received zero votes in the 2012 presidential election. This claim is misleading and has been explained by the demographic makeup of those precincts, which are predominantly Democratic and Black. Investigations found no evidence of fraud; instead, it reflected the voting patterns of the area

Lack of Specific Incidents

Trump and his allies have not cited any specific incidents of fraud from recent elections. Their claims are often vague and lack concrete evidence to support the allegations of widespread fraud.

Misrepresentation of Facts

The reputation of Philadelphia as a city prone to election fraud is often misused to support these claims. Public officials and observers argue that this reputation is unfair and misrepresents the facts of past incidents, obscuring the reality of how modern elections are conducted

In summary, the evidence presented by Trump and his allies to support their election fraud allegations in Pennsylvania is largely based on outdated incidents, misinterpretation of historical events, and a lack of concrete evidence from recent elections. These claims have been repeatedly debunked and do not reflect the current state of election integrity in the state.