Proposed 'Election Disinformation Board' Would Fight Denialism In PA

HARRISBURG, PA — Citing the past several elections that have been clouded by unsubstantiated claims of fraud and deceit, new legislation will soon be proposed in the Pennsylvania general assembly that would mandate that all candidates for public office accept election results.

The bill would also create a new "election disinformation board" that would aim to monitor and combat the spread of disinformation about elections and the democratic process.

"This rhetoric falsely impugns the legitimacy of our elections for the sake of partisan politics, sowing doubt about the validity of results." State Rep. Chris Rabb (D), the bill's creator, wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum. "In a politically diverse state like Pennsylvania, everyone should have full confidence in our electoral system."

Rabb said that more than 100 election-denying candidates — individuals who insisted, without evidence, that things like mail-in balloting create false election results — won primaries in 2022. He argued that deteriorating confidence in fundamental governmental institutions threatens the security of the democracy.

"Pennsylvanians deserve elections where legitimate issues are the focus and quality candidates present their positions in good faith," Rabb added. "Baseless claims and conspiracy theories meant to disrupt elections have no place in the democratic process."

The memorandum did not specify who would sit on the board, nor how they would enforce that all candidates "accept" results.

Many Republicans share a public desire for election reform, but the specifics, often centered around efforts to overthrow the 2020 results, look quite different.

Republican gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Doug Mastriano was among several prominent losers of the 2022 midterms around the nation who did not immediatley concede the election. Mastriano, a vociferous opponent of mail-in balloting and promoter of conspriacy theories stating that former President Donald Trump won the state in 2020, waited five days after his loss to concede.

After accepting the results, Mastriano reiterated that the state is in "great need of election reform."

"As I write this, the final results of the 2022 midterm elections are still not available," he said. "We can and we must do better to make our elections more transparent, more secure, and more quickly decided."