PA Lawmakers: Numbers Don’t Add Up, Certification of Presidential Results Premature and In Error

HARRISBURG – A group of state lawmakers performing extensive analysis of election data today revealed troubling discrepancies between the numbers of total votes counted and total number of voters who voted in the 2020 General Election, and as a result are questioning how the results of the presidential election could possibly have been certified by Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar and Governor Tom Wolf. These findings are in addition to prior concerns regarding actions by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Secretary, and others impacting the conduct of the election.

A comparison of official county election results to the total number of voters who voted on November 3, 2020 as recorded by the Department of State shows that 6,962,607 total ballots were reported as being cast, while DoS/SURE system records indicate that only 6,760,230 total voters actually voted. Among the 6,962,607 total ballots cast, 6,931,060 total votes were counted in the presidential race, including all three candidates on the ballot and write-in candidates.

The difference of 202,377 more votes cast than voters voting, together with the 31,547 over- and under-votes in the presidential race, adds up to an alarming discrepancy of 170,830 votes, which is more than twice the reported statewide difference between the two major candidates for President of the United States. On November 24, 2020, Boockvar certified election results, and Wolf issued a certificate of ascertainment of presidential electors, stating that Vice President Joe Biden received 80,555 more votes than President Donald Trump.

The lawmakers issued the following statement in response to their findings:

“We were already concerned with the actions of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Executive branch, and election officials in certain counties contravening and undermining the Pennsylvania Election Code by eliminating signature verification, postmarks, and due dates while allowing the proliferation of drop boxes with questionable security measures and the unauthorized curing of ballots, as well as the questionable treatment of poll watchers, all of which created wholesale opportunities for irregularities in the 2020 presidential election.”

“However, we are now seeing discrepancies on the retail level which raise even more troubling questions regarding irregularities in the election returns. These findings call into question the accuracy of the SURE system, consistency in the application of the Pennsylvania Election Code from county to county, and the competency of those charged with oversight of elections in our Commonwealth.

“These numbers just don’t add up, and the alleged certification of Pennsylvania’s presidential election results was absolutely premature, unconfirmed, and in error.”

State Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon) indicated that state legislators sponsoring and participating in this analysis were himself and Reps. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon), Dave Zimmerman (R-Lancaster), Barb Gleim (R-Cumberland), Stephanie Borowicz (R-Centre/Clinton), Dan Moul (R-Adams), Paul Schemel (R-Franklin), Dawn Keefer (R-York/Cumberland), Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland), Mike Jones (R-York), Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin), David Maloney (R-Berks), David Rowe (R-Snyder/Union), Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/Crawford/Forest), Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), Jim Cox (R-Berks/Lancaster) and Brett Miller (R-Lancaster).

Rep. Frank Ryan
101st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives