For nearly a year, our Commonwealth has been tied in knots by doubts surrounding recent elections. No matter whether you supported Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the 2020 election, everyone should have confidence in the results of that election. That is the only way our system works.
Unfortunately, that is not the case in Pennsylvania. The underhanded actions of our disgraced, now-former Secretary of State cast doubt upon the fairness of the process, and our new Acting Secretary has done everything in her power to shield that process from transparency. This includes undercutting the Senate’s clear legal authority to provide oversight of our elections in threatening to de-certify equipment reviewed by “third-parties.”
If we are going to give Pennsylvanians an election system they can believe in, we need to remove any doubt about whether the system is fair. That is why I announced recently the Pennsylvania Senate will conduct a thorough forensic audit of recent elections – including using our subpoena powers.
This audit is intended to go much further than previous reviews mandated by state law, which have focused on whether the reported counts are “accurate.” The goal of the Senate’s investigation will not be to conduct a recount, but to find any flaws in the system that could be exploited by bad actors and take action to correct those flaws through legislative changes to our Election Code.
As we move forward, we must make sure our approach is legally sound. In furtherance of that goal, I have asked Senator Cris Dush to lead this forensic audit. His experience as an investigator both in the military and the private sector uniquely positions him to excel in this role.
Our goal should be to proceed carefully, thoughtfully and transparently. I am not interested in a process that panders to any one point of view. We need to follow the evidence wherever it leads and get real results to make our election system stronger and more secure. That is the only way we can restore faith in our voting process and give all Pennsylvanians the peace of mind to know that future elections will be both fair and honest.
