Berks County election officials are challenging the registration of a voter accused of casting ballots in Berks and Montgomery counties.
At a meeting of the board of elections Thursday, First Assistant County Solicitor Cody Kauffman said the county was recently made aware by the Pennsylvania Department of State of an alleged incident in which an individual voted in Berks and Montgomery counties in the 2024 general election.
He said the Department of State has referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney General’s Office for further investigation.
Kauffman said an internal review was launched when the issue was brought to his attention .
That review showed that the voter in question was recorded as having voted in both counties in 2024, as well as in other elections. In fact, he said, it appears the voter cast ballots in Berks and Montgomery eight times over the span of 13 years.
Kauffman said the elections office has been working with the state department on the matter. But, he said, it also raises the question as to what should be done with the voter’s registration in Berks.
“This does appear to be an instance where this individual is registered in two counties, and I believe it’s important that we address it,” he said.
Kauffman explained that counties can only remove voters from the rolls in a few circumstances. However, he added, the law does allow for a county to file a challenge petition against a voter who they believe is improperly registered.
The challenge process gives the voter an opportunity to lay out their position on why they should remain on the rolls through a notarized response. If that response does not establish a sufficient basis to satisfy concerns, then the registration can be canceled.
“I believe this would be the appropriate avenue to pursue here,” Kauffman said. “Obviously, this is a concerning situation to say the least.”
The board agreed, voting unanimously to challenge the registration of the voter.
Commissioner Michael Rivera said the issue highlights a flaw of the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors system, which serves as the database for all 67 counties to ensure the accuracy and integrity of voter registration rolls.
“The system allows us to see if someone within Berks County has tried to vote more than once, but not throughout the state,” he said.
Rivera said he has asked Kauffman to prepare a letter to the Department of State requesting that as they continue tp upgrade and modernize the system that they put something in place to ensure this cannot happen again.
“That’s really the only way to prevent something like this from happening in the future,” he said.
Commissioner Christian Leinbach said he supports sending the letter, adding that during his time in office there have been numerous discussions under various administrations to replace and improve the system.
“Issues around the SURE system are not new,” he said.