DV Journal

Republican National Committee co-chairs Lara Trump and Michael Whatley came to the Delaware Valley this week with a message for the GOP faithful: We’re leaving nothing to chance on Election Day.

“I want to make sure that every person in this country, when they cast a ballot for whoever it is, whether you are voting for a Republican, Democrat, a third-party candidate on election day or mail-in vote, or early voting, knowing that your vote should count,” Trump told a gathering of 120 election volunteers who packed into Trump campaign headquarters in Newtown Tuesday.

“And that’s why we’re here. We from the RNC have put in place an incredible election integrity program.”

Trump is married to former President Donald Trump’s son Eric.

The volunteers received training on how to ensure the 2024 general election is fair, accurate, secure, and transparent.

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was also part of the RNC-sponsored event. She told local Republicans she still has “a little PTSD” from the 2020 election “when we had a court order to observe the ballot-counting and we were kicked out.”

“This time is going to be different and this is a priority for President Trump,” said Bondi.

“I know this will shock you, but 89 percent of Americans only want Americans to vote in our elections,” she said. “It’s the election of our lifetime and Pennsylvania is so important for our country.”

Trump echoed that sentiment. “We want to have an army of people across this country, 100,0000 people strong, working around the country to ensure integrity in our elections,” she said. “Make a plan and get out and vote.”

Whatley, who along with Lara Trump took the reins at the RNC earlier this year, told DVJournal it was time for Republicans to be proactive about ballot security.

“We’re keeping an eye on everything. That’s really why it’s so important for us to make sure first and foremost we have the rules of the road set up the right way before the votes are being cast and then we’ve got to be in the room wherever votes are being counted.”

“We want transparency throughout the entire process,” Whatley said.

In Newtown, Whatley told about having breakfast with Donald Trump and telling him the RNC was ineffective because it was trying to do too much.

“What we need to do is strip down and focus on two core missions. Number one, we’ve got to get out the vote,” Whatley told Donald Trump. “That’s what the RNC does. That’s been our core mission for the last 40 or 50 years and we are really good at working with our state parties.”

“But second — and for the first time in a presidential campaign — we have to protect the vote.”

“We created an office of election integrity,” Whatley said. It’s the first time we had a dedicated office that is focused solely on making sure we are there to protect the vote.”

Asked why former President Trump has not championed voting by mail, Lara Trump said he has messaged it on Truth Social.

“We want legal votes to count and however you can vote best, that’s exactly how you should vote,” she said.

Philadelphia election lawyer Linda Kerns, who is retained election integrity counsel for the RNC in Pennsylvania, attended the training.

“The Pennsylvania Election Code allows for qualified voters from both major political parties to be watchers in each and every polling place in this great commonwealth. The RNC’s goal with our Protect The Vote program is to ensure transparency. Fair and lawful elections ensure voter confidence and strengthen our great nation,” said Kerns.

Green Lane resident Barbara Steever signed up to be a poll watcher.

“People say Trump brainwashed us,” said Steever. “No. We just happen to believe what he believes. If Biden gets another term, this country is dead.”

Ed Moye, who is running for state representative in the 70th District in central Montgomery County, said he’s a Trump supporter because of his policies.

“It’s obvious the nation was in better shape (before Biden took over),” said Moye, who previously ran for sheriff.

Lara Trump said her father-in-law “believes the momentum is behind him” and the polls “clearly show that.”

“We believe if every legal vote is counted on Nov. 5, Donald Trump will become President-elect of the United States,” she said.

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The Pennridge Area Republican Club takes election integrity seriously.

It has been asking politicians to sign a pledge that includes support for requiring voters’ photo identification, proof of citizenship, proof of residency, and ending no-excuse mail-in ballots, with only absentee ballots as provided in the law before Act 77. It also wants voters to use paper ballots.

At least five state senators, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, have signed so far according to Pennridge member Stephen Sinclair. Another 16 state representatives, along with county commissioners and sheriffs, have signed the declaration as well. And a growing number of candidates running for the State House are on board, too.

“One of our local state representatives, Craig Staats, who serves the 145th District (the north and northeast region of Bucks County) has committed to this effort,” Sinclair said.

Club president Kim Bedillion said, “Millions of Americans have lost confidence in the election process. State laws were amended without consent, outside money was used to boost vote counts in certain areas, poll watchers were not permitted access to watch the process, drop boxes went unmonitored, and the list goes on. It is important to our Republic that voters remain engaged in the election process. To that end, we must restore confidence in our elections.”

“Our club members are committed to restoring election integrity to Pennsylvania. Our election integrity committee is meeting with local election officials and law enforcement, petitioning legislators, and recruiting poll watchers. That is part of the DNA of our club. We don’t just complain about a problem. We roll up our sleeves and get to work on the solution,” she said.

Since Pennsylvania adopted Act 77, which permitted mail-in ballots and the state Supreme Court added drop boxes, residents have complained about an opaque process that might be a venue for voter fraud.

At a rally in Wilkes-Barre Saturday night, former President Donald Trump mentioned Act 77 and called on the state legislature to repeal it. He also urged voters to go out in person on Election Day, rather than mailing in their ballots or using drop boxes. Trump rallied in support of Mastriano and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican running for the U.S. Senate.

Although a Commonwealth Court judge ruled Act 77 unconstitutional, the state Supreme Court, which has a 5-2 Democrat majority, overturned that decision.

The Pennridge Republican Club meets the second Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Keelersville Club, 2522 Ridge Road in Perkasie.

On Sept. 14, Diane Haring will discuss how to submit Right-to-Know requests to school districts. Megan Brock, a mother who is fighting Bucks County for documents related to the county’s COVID policy and a possible cover-up, is also expected to talk to the group.

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