Valerie Biancaniello, a Republican state committeewoman and RNC delegate, was shocked by what happened after she encouraged voters to remain in line on Monday.
The interaction was caught on video.
Biancaniello was at the county government center near voters who were trying to vote early, telling them not to get out of line after a county employee tried to discourage them from staying.
It was an action Biancaniello said was clearly “voter suppression.”
“I have been encouraging people to go vote in person at the government center and to drop their ballot into the drop box located in the lobby,” said Biancaniello, 55. Most of the people in line were Republicans. “And I was getting complaints from people that the line was very long and they felt that they were being discouraged from voting by the workers at the Election Bureau.
“So, all I did was go up there and tell them, because I knew a lot of the people, to stay in line. They were there in the first place because I told them to vote early. So, I said to them, ‘Please stay in line. Do not get discouraged. Your vote is important.’
“I didn’t say who to vote for,” she said. And she wasn’t wearing any Trump-related clothing.
And a county worker would come out “every 30 or 40 minutes” and tell them that it was a long line with a two-hour wait and they would have to stand in two other lines afterward, she said. He also suggested to the voters waiting that they might want to go to one of the satellite voting centers where the lines were shorter.
“I heard it with my own ears,” said Biancaniello. “Like, is this guy kidding me?”
Some people waiting were elderly and others needed to get to work, she said. Some were hungry and one college-age woman said she needed to get to class. That woman decided to go to the satellite office in Chester Heights.
“Well, she comes back and tells me that she went to Chester Heights only to be told they were out of mail-in ballot applications,” said Biancaniello. “It’s a voting center. All you need to do is print more. This girl was so shocked, she came back and told me. And as she’s telling me, a Democrat woman got out of line and accuse me of electioneering.
“And I said, ‘I am doing no such thing,’” said Biancaniello. “Then the Park Police came over.” They told her to leave.
“And I said, ‘No, I have every right to be here,’” said Biancaniello. “I wasn’t going to abandon these folks. I waited with them. I said, ‘I’m not leaving.’”
The officer told her that she was helping them fill out their ballots, which she denied, saying, “I did no such thing.”
Then he said she was misrepresenting herself as a county employee, and, “I said, ‘I am certainly not doing that.’
“‘The county is run by Democrats and I’m a delegate for Donald Trump,’” said Biancaniello to the officer. More officers came and handcuffed Biancaniello. They patted her down and took her to a holding area. When she said she had not done anything illegal, they said they would be charging her with disorderly conduct. They said they would mail a citation to the Marple Township resident and released her.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley posted to X, “A supporter of President Trump’s was arrested today for encouraging people to stay in the early voting line and cast their ballots freely in Pennsylvania. This follows reports from across the commonwealth that voters are being turned away in conservative areas.”
Asked to comment, Ryan Herlinger, a spokesperson for Delaware County said, “On Monday, October 28, 2024, an incident occurred at the Voter Service Center located at the Government Center Building in Media, PA, resulting in the arrest and removal of a woman who, according to multiple eyewitnesses, was disruptive, belligerent, and attempting to influence voters waiting in line. Her behavior prompted several complaints from those in line. Delaware County Park Police—who provide security for the Government Center Building—were on-site and responded promptly to the disturbance.”
Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, said, “We take voting rights very seriously in Delaware County. Voters have a right to participate in our democracy without being harassed or intimidated, and we applaud our Park Police for calming the disturbance and allowing voting to continue without disruption.”
“Providing a safe and convenient voting experience is our top priority,” added Delaware County Director of Elections James Allen. “That’s why we have Voter Service Centers in multiple locations throughout the County, where voters can speak with knowledgeable Election staff for assistance—whether they need to request or replace a mail ballot or get answers to any election-related questions. These centers are open six days a week, and we want every voter to know that they will find a safe, welcoming environment at all of our locations.”
