Bucks Democrats Deny Allegations They Were Trying To Sway Election

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Bucks County Democratic leaders are denying allegations that they were attempting to sway the outcome of an election by choosing to count certain mail-in and provisional ballots.

In a statement issued Monday, Bucks County Democratic Commissioner Bob Harvie, who chairs the county’s Board of Elections, called the claims of attempting to sway the election “baseless" and "unequivocal nonsense.”

Harvie pointed to the numbers, which he said aren’t going to move the needle in the U.S. Senate race where 17,000 votes separates Republican Dave McCormick and Democrat Bob Casey.

The mail-in ballots approved by the board of elections last week included 225 additional votes for Casey and 182 additional votes for McCormick while the county’s provisional ballots showed Casey with 101 additional votes and McCormick with 106 additional votes.

“These numbers make clear, as has been known by both parties, that these votes were never going to alter the outcome of this race,” said Harvie.

Harvie said the decisions the Board of Elections rendered last week are “consistent with its long-standing practice of fighting to protect the rights of registered Bucks County voters who made some immaterial mistakes on their ballot envelopes or, even worse, suffered mistakes made by election workers, but who nonetheless cast ballots in an effort to have their vote count.

“Whatever candidates those ballots do or do not lift to victory is up to the voters, and is not the concern of the Board,” he said.

During a Board of Elections meeting last week, the board's two Democrats - Harvie and Diane Ellis-Marseglia - voted to count undated and incorrectly dated mail-in ballots despite an earlier ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court not to include them in the count. Republican commissioner Gene DiGirolamo voted not to count the ballots.

At that meeting, remarks by Ellis-Marseglia went viral after she voted to count the ballots despite the court's ruling.

“I think we all know that precedent by court doesn’t matter anymore in this country and people violate laws anytime they want," she said. "So, for me, if I violate this law it’s because I want the court to pay attention to it. There is nothing more important than counting votes.”

The court responded on Monday upholding its decision not to allow the ballots to be counted after three southeastern Pennsylvania counties - Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia - voted to count the ballots in defiance of the court.

“In the case of undated and misdated mail-in ballots cast in this election, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has told us today that those votes cast by registered Bucks County voters shall not be counted for the Nov. 5, 2024, General Election,” said Harvie. “This is precisely the clarity we were seeking from the courts in this matter. The Board of Elections will of course comply with the order of the court.”

Harvie said with the issue of undated and incorrectly dated ballots remaining very much alive before both state and federal courts, “we look forward to seeing these cases decided on the merits.”

Harvie said in his four years serving as the Board of Elections, the Democratic administration has overseen elections won by both major parties and has certified the results of those contests – affirming the will of the voters of Bucks County – without hesitation. In that respect, this year has been and will be no different, he said.

“Unfortunately, because this story has been picked up by national media outlets and has gone viral on social media, members of this board, their families and county staff have been subject to threats and harassment at levels unprecedented under this administration," said Harvie.

“We condemn these pathetic actions in no uncertain terms and have turned over these calls and messages to law enforcement. There is no place for that type of behavior in a democracy. “