READING, Pa. \u2013 The Berks County Commissioners heard several challenges Thursday morning from representatives of the Berks County Republican Committee, regarding the counting of 21 provisional ballots in the Nov. 3 election.<\/p>\n
Jeff Wolfe challenged 12 provisional ballots that were rejected because the electors voted through mail-in or absentee ballots and then showed up at the polls to cast provisional ballots.<\/p>\n
Wolfe asked that the county investigate the matter for any incidents of voter fraud.<\/p>\n
The board voted to reject the challenge, saying those voters did not vote two times, and in most cases, they probably cast provisional ballots because they feared their mail-in ballots were not received.<\/p>\n
A second challenge was filed by Wolfe arguing the case that some provisional ballots were rejected because two voters with the same name attempted to voted, and the first to show up signed next to the other voter\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
When the second voter showed up, they could not vote, were told to cast a provisional ballot, but that ballot could not be counted.<\/p>\n
The board voted to uphold that challenge and asked the director of elections to check the poll signatures and the provisional ballot signatures to correct the situation.<\/p>\n
County Commissioner Christian Leinbach called the situation a case of voter disenfranchisement and said the election worker should have checked the signature when the first voter signed the poll book.<\/p>\n
Another challenge was rejected that counted provisional ballots that were accepted even though the names were not in the poll book.<\/p>\n
Solicitor Cody Kauffman said those situations involve voters who had changed their names, most likely because of marriage.<\/p>\n
In other business, the board voted to review and accept the unofficial canvass for the 2026 General Election and announce that the required five-day review period begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 13 and end at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19.<\/p>\n
Elections Director Anne Norton noted that almost 1,000 provisional ballots were cast with 274 of those being rejected.<\/p>\n
Norton said 28,000 of the 32,000 mail-in ballots were returned.<\/p>\n
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