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Rep. Frank Burns filed a comparatively routine Proper To Know request with Cambria County, PA, that wished to know what number of voting machines the county had and what number of ballots had been distributed throughout the 2024 presidential election.
Burns made his request as a result of there have been widespread points with poll scanners in Cambria County, PA, on election day final November.
The county denied his request on the premise of, “Beneath the RTKL, a request should search data, fairly than reply questions.”
Burns responded:
It’s gorgeous – however not shocking – to obtain such a jackass response from supposed public servants,” Burns stated. “Why would you not obtain such primary info? Why do they make anybody go down this rabbit gap?
Do they suppose will probably be much less work for the county if I ask for all data associated to the acquisition and upkeep of all voting machines, together with their serial numbers and storage places? And ask them for copies of all invoices and order kinds from distributors that printed and provided election ballots?
Burns additionally requested for copies of paperwork and insurance policies associated to the testing of voting machines and right here is the place issues get troubling in keeping with the state consultant:
His request for copies of insurance policies, directives and outcomes relating to the process for testing voting machines in Cambria County – together with who carried out and was current for any testing, how check outcomes and passing grades had been assessed and tabulated, and the variety of voting machines which will have failed such testing – was denied as a result of “the data requested don’t exist.”
His request for “any and all paperwork, correspondence (together with, however not restricted to, emails) or written rationalization that determines, specifies or illuminates ‘the character of the issue’ and why ‘the error was not capable of be found till voting commenced,’ as attributed to (county solicitor Ronald) Repak’s assertion within the Altoona Mirror” – and his request for, “a tally of what number of ballots forged in Cambria County had been unable to be scanned on Election Day of Nov. 5, 2024, and a separate tally of what number of ballots had been capable of be scanned efficiently on Election Day of Nov. 5,2024” – had been each denied on grounds that “the RTKL exempts from disclosure data of an company ‘regarding a noncriminal investigation … that, if disclosed, would (r)eveal the establishment, progress or results of an company investigation.’
The Pennsylvania Division of State has the facility to analyze elections in every county however doesn’t have subpoena energy over the counties.
Burns has to attraction the county’s rejection to the State Workplace of Open Information.
None of this ought to be vital.
Donald Trump gained nearly 70% of the vote in Cambria County.
If Republicans are as involved about election integrity and safety as they’ve claimed to be for years, they need to welcome the request of Rep. Burns.
The truth that the important data don’t exist is a massively unsettling admission.
There are two potentialities. Both county workers didn’t need to do the work to adjust to the request, so that they blew Burns off, or there are severe issues with elections in Cambria County.
Information analysts have referred to as for an investigation into the 2024 election ends in Pennsylvania, and Cambria County’s lack of compliance does completely nothing to reassure Pennsylvanians in regards to the integrity of the state’s elections.
What do you consider Cambria County’s response to Rep. Burns? Share your ideas within the feedback under.
