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Pennsylvania election official on the greatest threat in the 2024 presidential election
In 2020, the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania faced significant turmoil with election protests, court challenges and threats against election officials, including Republican Al Schmidt.
Schmidt, who previously oversaw Philadelphia’s elections as a commissioner and supervised the city’s election, now holds the position of secretary of the commonwealth, the state’s top election official.
He said the greatest threat to the 2024 presidential election is the high turnover rate among those officials who are responsible for running elections.
“Some people left because of the ugly environment with threats. Some people left because it was time for them to retire,” said Schmidt.
More than 80 senior election officials across two-thirds of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties have departed. When long-time election workers are replaced by less experienced individuals, the likelihood of errors in election administration increases, according to Schmidt.
An analysis of last year’s general election in Pennsylvania found that ballot errors doubled in the state’s municipal general elections from 2021 to 2023. These errors included incorrect instructions to voters on the number of candidates to vote for; duplicate ballots being sent to the same voter; races or candidates being left off the ballot; improper ballot instructions; and spelling mistakes.
“When you are running elections, there is no room for error, right? There’s no redos or do-overs,” said Schmidt, adding that remedial actions were put in place to ensure the accuracy of the results despite the mistakes.
Chris Spackman, the new director of elections for Dauphin County, will oversee his first presidential election this year. Spackman, who previously served as deputy director, feels well-supported in his new role, receiving guidance from fellow election directors and his predecessor.
But not all counties have the same level of support. In some counties in Pennsylvania and across the country, a single person is responsible for managing the entire election process. Ensuring the integrity of the vote in these cases often requires reliance on other departments or offices within the county.
“But in our experience, you have checks and balances built into this system to make sure election results are accurate and people can have confidence in those results,” said Schmidt.
A CBS News poll revealed that 72% of Pennsylvania Republicans do not consider President Biden the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election. Schmidt encouraged those with doubts to get more involved in the election process.
“When I meet people who are responsible for running elections, I don’t know if they’re Democrats, I don’t know if they’re Republicans, and I don’t really care if they are or not. I care that they’re running elections in a way that’s free and fair and safe and secure,” said Schmidt.
Looking ahead to Nov. 6, the day after Election Day, Schmidt said he has one clear hope: that news agencies report, “Election Day went smoothly in Pennsylvania.”
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.