DV Journal

A new group is telling Pennsylvania residents to rise up and reclaim the voting process it says went awry when the state legislature passed Act 77 in 2019.

Act 77, among other things, gives voters 50 days of no-excuse mail-in voting before an election and brought ballot boxes, which have proved controversial. The group, BallotSecurityNow.org, is sending text messages to Republican primary voters targeting state representatives and senators who passed Act 77

Messages sent on Wednesday targeted Rep. Seth Grove (R-York). Texts are going out to Sen. Jake Corman’s district on Thursday. Corman (R-Centre) is a candidate for governor.

“Blame GOP State Rep. Seth Grove for the 2020 election fraud in PA. He voted for the unconstitutional Act 77, which led to ballot-box stuffing and the defeat of President Trump. Now Grove will not do what it takes to repeal the bogus law. Help us convince him to do what is right.”

Ballot Security Now wants voters to demand their representative or senator sign a pledge to support action to repeal Pennsylvania’s unconstitutional Act 77 and restore all voting methods to those clearly described in the state constitution; support an amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution to specify voting will only be by processes in the constitution with no universal mail-in voting allowed; support a law to require photo identification for all methods of voting, in-person or by mail; support a law to require that all voter rolls be cleaned (removing dead voters or those who have moved away) before every election; support a law which requires that all ballots except military ballots must be received in the election office by poll closing time on Election Day.

Grove declined to comment about the texts, although he acknowledged receiving one.

“I have launched our state constitutionally mandated review of the 2020 election in a transparent fashion,” said Corman. “I have significant issues with Act 77 and how Gov. Wolf violated the law. As governor, I’m going to pass legislation that eliminates drop boxes, institutes photo ID requirements, and ends what has been a disastrous, no-excuse mail-in-ballot program. All Pennsylvania voters, regardless of party, must have confidence that their vote will be counted. If we don’t have faith in our elections, we have nothing.”

Locally, the Montgomery County Republican Party has accused Democrats of ballot-box stuffing and aired a video showing a woman placing multiple ballots in a box in Upper Dublin in November 2021. However, county officials claim that what she did is permitted.

Doug McLinko

Doug McLinko, a Bradford County commissioner, is passionate about fair elections. McLinko, also a member of the Bradford Board of Elections, is a plaintiff in a case against the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, who is in charge of elections. He contends that because the move to mail-in voting was done unconstitutionally, he was placed in the untenable position of being required by the state to “act unlawfully.”

He argued on constitutional grounds and won in Commonwealth Court, which found Act 77 violates Pennsylvania’s constitution. Attorney General Josh Shapiro appealed to the state Supreme Court, where it is pending.

McLinko argues Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has long held that the state constitution requires in-person voting.

McLinko, a Republican, blames his party for Act 77 since Republican legislators passed it without Democratic votes.

“They destroyed the voting system in Pennsylvania,” he said. “And they never did anything to fix it. They can say they have, but they haven’t.”

While many people believe the pandemic led to mail-in ballots, Act 77 was approved before COVID.

While the legislature has held hearings and discussed auditing the vote, McLinko called that “smoke and mirrors,” which has not led to any meaningful action. A constitutional amendment needs to be placed on the ballot as soon as possible, he said. Otherwise, Pennsylvania and its crucial Electoral College votes will go to the Democrats in the 2024 presidential election and beyond.

He believes the Keystone State is the key and necessary for any Republican to retake the White House.

“Pennsylvania is the prize of swing states,” he said. And even if a Republican is elected governor in the fall, without removing Act 77, the 2024 election remains in jeopardy. The legislature must act to repeal the bill, he said.

“They screwed it up once, and they are capable of screwing it up again,” McLinko said.

If elected representatives will not take the Ballot Security Now pledge, McLinko called on voters to mount primary challenges.

“The deplorables are angry in Pennsylvania,” said McLinko. “And when you find out how bad this is, and what the state legislature did to your precious right to vote, you are going to be furious, too. And they don’t have any desire to fix it.”

“They all say they want investigations and audits, which means nothing,” said McLinko. “We need a constitutional amendment.”

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About 50 volunteers came to the Bucks County Republican Headquarters in Doylestown last week to learn the ins and outs of door-knocking and phone calling for the upcoming midterm elections.

Before the training began they heard remarks from Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and from Tommy Hicks, Jr., National Republican Committee co-chair from Texas.

“We’ve got a generational opportunity to grow the Republican Party,” Hicks told the Delaware Valley Journal. “And frankly it’s because we stand for faith, freedom, and opportunity, and it’s clear to the American people that the Democrats now stand for what is effectively socialism and government control.”

Tommy Hicks Jr.

Hicks says he believes the Republican message “resonates with the American people. We need to take this momentum and try to make it permanent across the country and especially here in Pennsylvania, which is ground zero for the midterms in 2022.”

Hicks said other Philadelphia collar counties, which have been in the Democratic recently, can return to the GOP, following the example of Bucks County in 2021, where Republican candidates swept the county row officer races.

“We’ve made some good progress in November with some municipal races and some school boards,” said Hicks. “I think the momentum is on our side. We can push on that momentum. We have a generational opportunity to give power back to the people and take it away from unelected bureaucrats.”

Asked about Chester County, where voter registration has given the Democrats an advantage, he said, “Everything’s in play. Right now the Republican Party and the RNC (believe) everything that Joe Biden won by 10 or 12 points, we think is in play right now.

“So we’re going to be investing resources,” he said. “We’re going to be recruiting volunteers, and I think there’s an opportunity to make massive pick-ups in Pennsylvania and across the country.”

Hicks said he’s spent a lot of time in the state before the 2016 and 2020 elections, as well as for business. He’s a private equity investor.

“I’m from Texas, and I think Pennsylvania can be the next Texas with all the energy jobs you can create,” said Hicks. “There’s a huge opportunity here, throughout Pennsylvania. And we just need the right kind of political and policy leadership to make that take place. And I’m hugely optimistic about the future of this commonwealth.”

“I love the people in Pennsylvania,” said Hicks. “They remind me a lot of Texans—in a good way. People respect entrepreneurs and risk-takers, and I like that. That’s the American way.”

Asked why he is involved with politics, Hicks, who has been RNC co-chair for three years, said, “Because I love our country and when you’re given an opportunity to be involved in leadership politically you’ve got to make the most of it.”

Hicks mentioned he wants to preserve the America he loves for his three daughters.

“With this movement, we have right now to give America back to the American people and take it away from Washington, who feels entitled to control the American people, it’s an opportunity you can’t refuse. And you’ve got to work day and night to make sure you help get the American people out of this situation where Washington controls every aspect of your life,” he said.

Later, Hicks told the volunteers he got involved after Democrat Barack Obama became president and he was unhappy with his policies.

“Little did I know that a friend of mine’s father was going to run for president (referring to Donald Trump). I said, ‘Can I carry your bags?’” said Hicks. “We all get started as volunteers in different ways. This is the lifeblood of our movement.”

In introducing Hicks, Fitzpatrick described Bucks County as being partly rural, partly suburban with middle-class and blue-collar areas.

“Bucks County is a crossroads, it’s a slice of America,” said Fitzpatrick.

“It’s a swing district–”

“Not this year,” Hicks cut in, prompting laughs.

“It’s incredibly important this year,” said Fitzpatrick, who noted that not just federal offices but state and local seats are in play. “It’s all-important,” he said.

Hicks told the group, “This is ground zero for us to take back this republic from the radical Democrats So we are focused on growing the party. Congratulations to Pennsylvania. We’ve shrunk the lead by 200,000 registered voters. We’re going to continue working on that. We’re going to continue messaging. We’re going to continue to recruit people for state and local offices.

“People understand what’s at stake,” he said. “I have three little girls and we’ve fought for generations for what we have. We cannot let it go. And it goes away if we do not win this November.”

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Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority in the United States and the GOP has had some success courting their votes.

In Pennsylvania, the Republican National Committee has been expanding its ground game in the Hispanic community. The RNC has an active presence in the Philadelphia area, Reading, and the Lehigh Valley, places where the Latino population has grown.

Last fall, the RNC held a national week of training and Hispanic Heritage month observance in Allentown so volunteers could learn how to register and mobilize voters in those communities ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

“Almost 18 percent of the population in this country is Hispanic, and in the last election cycle 13 percent of the vote were cast by Hispanics,” said Jaime Florez, director of Hispanic communications for the RNC. “So, Hispanics are a very important community and they have very particular links with Republican values and ideas and principles, particularly what has to do with family, what has to do with freedom, with opportunity.”

Christopher Borick

“The GOP has seen some gains among Hispanic voters in recent years in Pennsylvania and elsewhere,” said Christopher Borick, a political science professor and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. “There are a variety of factors behind the shift, with views on economics and some social issues playing a role. A solid majority of Hispanic voters still align with the Democrats and that is likely to remain the case in the near future. But if the GOP can cut into the margin, it can have major effects on election outcomes.”

According to a recent PBS/Marist poll, only 33 percent of Hispanics approve of Joe Biden’s performance, while 65 percent disapprove.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump won 38 percent of Hispanic voters in 2020, a 10-point increase from 2016. And in Reading, Trump received 27 percent of the vote, an 8 percent increase from 2016, which accounted for 80,000 net votes between 2016 and 2020.

Economics might be a reason for the jump.

During the Trump administration, Hispanic Americans experienced record low unemployment. Its unemployment rate hit several record lows in 2019, including falling below 4 percent for the first time in history.

The median Hispanic American income rose by $1,786 during Trump’s first year in office.

“We just want to offer Hispanics the opportunity of being a part of the party that really is their home in this country,” said Florez, an immigrant from Colombia. “So it is important for us, of course. It is important for everyone.”

The Hispanic population is not only the largest minority in the U.S., but it is also growing the fastest, Florez said.

“We’re targeting every Hispanic community in the country,” said Florez. “We’re working in every possible way to reach Hispanics all over the country. We did that in the last election cycle and we’re doing that with a multi-million dollar investment from the Republican National Committee.”

It is using advertising venues such as billboards and social media, he said, as well as other advertising media.

“We’re sending press releases every single day to all the Hispanic media we have on our list,” he said. “And we’re always available for interviews or comments.”

“And we’re doing very well,” said Florez. “Before the election in November we did work with our friends in Virginia and we were able to get some updates published…before the election for governor, a couple of months ago, and we keep doing that everywhere, where ever is necessary.”

“Hispanic voters are very concerned with the turn to the left that we are seeing in this (Biden) government,” he said. “Most Hispanics, including myself, came to this country fleeing those liberal, left-wing ideas that were introduced in some of our countries…Some of those ideas and policies were introduced in those countries. That doesn’t make our countries grow. On the contrary, the economy was destroyed by those ideas and we don’t want that to happen in this country.”

Chris Mundiath

“Sadly, we’re seeing some of the things we came fleeing from, like empty store shelves, and large inflation and the capability of the acquisitive power of our salaries getting smaller and smaller every day…All those things we’re seeing now, Hispanics reject heavily. We came here for freedom. We came here for opportunity. We came here for a chance to make our lives better. We didn’t come here to get anything for free,” said Florez.

Conshohocken resident Chris Mundiath, chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Pennsylvania, agrees with Florez.

“The Hispanic community is generally conservative by culture,” said Mundiath. “We are pro-life, family oriented and, like everyone else, come here because we want to find good paying jobs, start a business, go to college or earn good money through trade school. Democrats believe that by putting Hispanics on welfare we are better off, while Republicans believe that we have the ability to move up on our own accord.”

“Today’s Democratic Party is moving further to the left, are becoming increasingly anti-police, but people don’t leave their dangerous cities in Honduras only to come to a city like Philly for example, to find that the city here is no different than back home, because of someone like Larry Krasner,” said Mundiath. “People don’t leave Argentina to escape high inflation, only to come to the U.S. and find the same thing. And people didn’t leave Cuba to make the U.S. more socialist. We want to live in a free market economy and get where we want to be on our own accord, with minimal interference with our lives from big government.”

Florez said, “So we’re really are very concerned, with what’s happening now. And that’s one of the reasons why Hispanics are moving from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.”

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Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is bullish on her party’s chances both this year and in 2022.

Bucks County Republicans and Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Lawrence Tabas welcomed McDaniel to a get out the vote event at Bucks County Republican headquarters in Doylestown last week.

The current election “is helping us prepare for next year with our ground game,” McDaniel said. “It’s a test run, so it’s going to be critical with our turnout this November to measure and see how we’ll do in the midterms.”

In addition to congressional races and the governorship, Pennsylvania voters will be choosing a replacement for Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, who is not seeking another term. The GOP hopes to retake both the House and the Senate which Democrats now hold by narrow margins.

“What I’m seeing across the state and across the country is a huge enthusiasm for Republicans. With special elections this year, Republicans are outperforming the ticket from 2020 and Democrats are underperforming their ticket from 2020. And we’re hoping that will continue into this election,” said McDaniel.

“The midterms are always a referendum on the party that has the power,” she added. “That’s historically the way it is and the Democrats have the House and the Senate and the White House. As we are watching unemployment rise especially here in Pennsylvania, we’re watching more people leave the workforce, we’re watching the labor shortages, we’re watching inflation, energy prices going up, what’s happening at the border, all of that is a referendum on the Biden administration. And right now based on the polling that we’re seeing, the American people are not pleased.”

A recent poll average finds President Joe Biden with a 42 percent approval rating. It has fallen faster during his first nine months in office than any president in the modern era. But that doesn’t mean Republican candidates can coast and expect to win.

“I think my message to every Republican candidate is to know your district, know your community, invest in retail politicking, and don’t take anything for granted. And run on the issues that the people in your constituency believe in. And if you run your race and you really do that work, we’ll win,” she said.

One reason that former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election was he lost the support of suburban women. But McDaniel believes women are coming back to the GOP in droves due to Democratic policies.

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Lawrence Tabas introduces judicial candidates Judge Drew Crompton, candidate for Commonwealth Court; Judge Kevin Brobson, candidate for Pennsylvania Supreme Court; Megan Sullivan, candidate for Superior Court, and Stacy Wallace, candidate for Commonwealth Court.

“We’re seeing women come back for a variety of reasons,” she noted. “A lot of it is having to do with the failed leadership of the Biden administration. We’re seeing gas prices go up. As moms, we understand what that means. I get that as a mom. We’re seeing our groceries cost more. We’re seeing everything cost more. And we know that inflation is affecting our families, and the border, national security and I think what’s happening in the schools, when you see in Virginia, a Democrat candidate say that parents have no right to have a say in their children’s education, that’s really resonating with women and moms across the country, especially in the suburbs. I know I’m one of them.  And what we’re seeing is a huge influx of people running for school board and it’s bringing women back to the Republican Party.”

Republican judicial candidates also attended the Doylestown event and were introduced to the party faithful.

The state Supreme Court, which now has a 5-2 Democrat majority, made several rulings regarding mail-in ballots in 2020 that some Republicans believe helped swing the presidential election to Joe Biden.

“I think that’s why these court races are very important,” said McDaniel. “Court races are critical because you can have a legislative session, one bad court ruling can overturn what happened legislatively. And a lot of times court races and judicial races are not given the attention they deserve, especially compared to the impact they can have on a state and no state understands that better than Pennsylvania. So every race is important. Obviously, these are the focus right now and the RNC is building a ground game to help the whole ticket.”

Commonwealth Court President Judge Kevin Brobson (R) and Superior Court Judge Maria McLaughlin are vying for the seat now held by Thomas Saylor (R). Under state law, Saylor must retire because he turns 75 this year.

McDaniel, a Michigan resident, has two children, one a junior in high school and one who just left for college.

“They were both pandemic kids. She was a pandemic senior,” said McDaniel. “It’s so hard and she did not get a senior year like so many kids. We really watched our kids struggle. We’re all navigating it. But I certainly do not think I should not have a say in my kids’ education. And my voice matters, just like every other parent across this country.”

McDaniel, 48, has been the National Committee Chair since 2017 and enjoys the job.

“I love traveling the country and meeting people, being in Bucks County today and meeting your county Chair Pat Poprik, seeing her and how hard she works. Everywhere I go, I get to meet amazing people. I love that. It’s also the thing that’s the hardest, traveling and being away from my family. I love seeing the whole great nation that we live in and the variety and the difference in every single state,” McDaniel said.