From fcdaffef13afd94f20637c28604e001823f9a6e9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Katie Meyer Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:27:05 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 01/22] Content: publishing "SPLNORTHDOCS" --- content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md | 193 ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 193 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..3b2b32290c --- /dev/null +++ b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md @@ -0,0 +1,193 @@ ++++ +authors = ["Carter Walker"] +blurb = "An investigation by Votebeat and Spotlight PA shows Northampton County had incomplete, disorganized, and inconsistent records from its 2023 voting machine testing. Is legislation needed?" +byline = "Carter Walker of Votebeat" +description = "Lapses in recordkeeping in Northampton County raise questions about whether counties are complying with voting machine testing rules." +image = "2024/04/01k2-2vwf-kweb-vcr0.jpeg" +image-credit = "Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA" +image-description = "Northampton County voters go to the polls in Nov. 2023 at the Forks Township Community Center." +internal-id = "SPLNORTHDOCS" +kicker = "Elections" +modal-exclude = false +pinned = false +published = 2024-04-18T15:24:08.157-04:00 +slug = "northampton-county-voting-machine-error-testing-records-2023-election" +suppress-date = false +title = "Missing voting machine documents raise concern about Pa. county’s testing processes" +title-tag = "Northampton County kept sloppy voting machine records" +topics = ["Elections"] ++++ + +This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Sign up for Votebeat's free newsletters here. + +When Northampton County voters cast their ballots in an election last November, it became clear to them very quickly that something was wrong. + +On the printed records that are meant to show them how they voted, the votes they cast in one judge’s election were appearing under another judge’s name. + +"It's a joke," one frustrated voter told Lehigh Valley News on Election Day. "We don't even have faith in the electoral system, then this happens?" + +
+ +The mixup — the result of an error in programming voting machines — didn’t result in any votes being counted incorrectly, because the machines don’t rely on the text of that printed record to tabulate results. Nonetheless, it was the kind of error that should have been caught and demonstrates the importance of putting voting machines through robust pre-election testing. And in Northampton County’s case, it was part of a larger pattern of testing flaws that went beyond an undetected programming error. + +A Votebeat and Spotlight PA investigation into the county’s preparation for last November’s election found that its testing documentation was incomplete, inconsistent, and in more than 150 cases missing entirely, making it difficult to prove that it tested its machines correctly. + +“Obviously, it’s not the way it is supposed to happen,” said Kevin Skoglund, president and chief technologist of the Pennsylvania-based Citizens for Better Elections who has studied the model of machine Northampton County uses. “Imagine if you took your car in to get your brakes checked, and then something went wrong and you went back and they couldn’t prove what they’d done.” + +The county’s lapses don’t point to any malfunction or malfeasance with the voting machines, and the Votebeat and Spotlight PA review didn’t find any. But even benign errors threaten to undermine voters’ confidence in election administration and feed conspiracy theories about fraud, as Northampton experienced last year. That’s partly why the state requires counties to document the testing of every machine they use ahead of each election. + +In response to Votebeat and Spotlight PA’s findings, Northampton County has made efforts to correct its procedures. But its original lapses do raise questions about how faithfully counties around the state are following requirements for testing their machines and documenting what they’re doing. Some outside observers, including state legislators, are wondering whether a legislative fix is needed. + +State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, a Republican from neighboring Lehigh County who has been skeptical of Northampton’’s testing process, is working on such a bill. “Northampton County’s neglect to properly test election equipment and document it is abhorrent,” he said after seeing the Votebeat and Spotlight PA findings. + +## How pre-election machine testing is supposed to work + +Before each election, counties are required by law, and directives from the Pennsylvania Department of State, to test the election equipment they will use to ensure it is working properly. This is known as “logic and accuracy” testing. + +The testing looks for problems that could arise during voting or tabulation, such as machines being unable to read ballots, miscalibrated touch screens, and incorrect vote totals. + +The testing is “intended to ensure that ballots, scanners, ballot-marking devices, and all components of a county’s certified voting system are properly configured and in good working order prior to being used in an election,” according to a Pennsylvania Department of State directive on machine testing. + +Typically, a county or its vendor — representatives of the voting machine manufacturer — will first design and print a “test deck”: a set of mock ballots that simulate different combinations of votes that could be cast by voters. + +For example, in a county commissioner’s race where voters can select two of three candidates, a test deck would include ballots that would account for the different combinations. + +But before any of the test ballots are put through the tabulator, inspectors print out a “zero tape” from the tabulator machine. The zero tape — a strip of paper that’s like a receipt from a cash register — serves as proof that the machine doesn’t have any votes already recorded. + +After the test ballots are run through the machine, inspectors print out another strip of paper, the results tape, which shows what the vote totals are for each candidate or question on the ballot. They then compare the ballots in the test deck and the results tape to ensure that the vote totals match. + +The exact process can vary depending on the types of machines the counties use — some have voters make selections on a touch screen — but no matter what, the testing protocols are intended to ensure that a tabulating machine generates results that accurately reflect voters’ choices. + +The inspector also reviews various functions on the machine and uses a checklist to record each step. This includes things such as whether the machine’s date and time are correct, if the machine can read the ballot without error, and if vote totals were cleared from the machine after the test deck is run through the tabulator, so that the machine is ready to use for the actual election. + +The process is important not only because it helps ensure a smooth election and the state requires it, but also because it generates a paper trail — proof for county officials that they completed the testing and that the system worked. + +“Hypothetically speaking, if there are people that are saying something is incorrect, we would obviously do a full investigation on the matter, and that starts with this paperwork,” said Karen Barsoum, election director for Chester County. + +If a machine doesn’t go through the testing, she said, it’s not used at the polls, because there’s otherwise no way to show it was functioning properly. + +## How one voting machine error slipped through + +Northampton’s voting machine, the ExpressVote XL, is an all-in-one “ballot marking device.” Voters insert a ballot card into the machine, make their selections on a touch screen, and the machine prints those selections onto the ballot card, in text form, and in a barcode. The machine then reads the barcode to tabulate the results and stores the paper ballot card in an internal hopper, to be retained for post-election audits or recounts. + +This means that for pre-election testing, inspectors handle the test deck differently. They replicate the votes shown on the test deck by entering the selections on the machine’s touch screen. The machine prints those votes onto a ballot card, displays them to the inspector, and then tabulates them internally. + +In the November election that went wrong, two state judges were running in retention elections, where voters had to choose, with a yes or no vote, whether to keep them on the bench. + +But in the run-up to that election, an employee of the county’s election machine vendor, Election Systems & Software, incorrectly programmed the machines in a way that produced an incorrect text record on the printed ballot card. + +A voter wouldn’t notice the misprint unless they had split their votes, voting “yes” for one judge and “no” for the other. If a voter voted this way, they would see that the text on their printed ballot would display their “yes” or “no” vote under the opposite judge's race than they had intended. + +The error didn’t affect the way the machines recorded the election results. That’s because the ExpressVote XL uses the barcode on the ballot card — not the printed text — to tabulate voting results, and the barcodes were printed correctly, county and ES&S officials said. + +The programming error went undetected during the test run in October, because Northampton did not check this specific scenario with its test deck — a ballot where a voter voted “yes” on one of the judges and “no” on the other one. + +But the error was enough to create confusion on Election Day. + +## Additional problems Votebeat and Spotlight PA discovered + +The county’s issues went further than simply not testing enough permutations. Records show a disorganized, incomplete process, with no evidence of machine inspectors’ work being double-checked for accuracy. + +A Votebeat and Spotlight PA reporter spent nearly 14 hours over six days going through the county’s logic and accuracy testing documents from October 2023. Votebeat also inspected a box of documents and spoke to an official from another county to compare the way records were maintained. + +The Northampton documents — test decks, zero tapes and results tapes, checklists, and test ballots printed out from the ExpressVote XL — were stored in four file boxes. A reporter was allowed to access and make copies of the documents following a public records request. + +What stood out immediately was a lack of organization. Northampton County Election Director Christopher Commini said that after the test was performed in October, bags containing each machine’s testing documents were dumped into the file boxes. This left them in no discernible order, and testing documents for a single machine were often split across multiple boxes. + +Mixed in with these documents were also a zero tape and checklist from the 2023 primary, while many checklists had no date on them at all, raising questions about whether they were from the right election. + +By contrast, in Chester County, Barsoum keeps her documentation neatly organized. Each machine’s test deck, tapes, checklist, and other documents are neatly folded and placed in clear, resealable envelopes and kept in file boxes indicating which election they are for. The sealing end of the envelopes are even staggered in the box, to keep the stacks orderly. + +{{}} + +In Northampton, Commini downplayed the misfiled documents, noting that was only two items out of four filing boxes and not indicative of a widespread issue, but he acknowledges the county’s organization is lacking. + +“We recognize that in the past, there was no process to keep these documents in order,” he said. “We are aware now that we need to create a new filing process for this information, and we are going to take steps to do so.” + +The checklists in Northampton’s boxes weren’t just misfiled. Large numbers of them were incomplete or inconsistent. More than 200 did not have the back filled out, which includes steps like removing mock ballots from the machine after testing. Some inspectors completed some questions that others skipped. And in some cases, the same inspector would fill out the same checklist differently for two precincts’ machines. None of the checklists had the line for supervisors’ initials filled out to indicate the inspector’s work had been checked. + +Story continues below graphic. + + + + +The testing was performed by a mix of county employees — some from outside the elections department — and ES&S employees, with ES&S providing the training. Commini said while there are supervisors from the elections office and ES&S overseeing the process, those employees did not examine the inspectors’ checklists to ensure they were complete. + +The checklists also lacked serial numbers that would indicate which machine they were for, so in most cases they couldn’t be linked afterward to a particular machine or its zero and results tapes. Not a single checklist had a serial number written on it, according to Votebeat and Spotlight PA’s review. + +One particular checklist that turned up in the review illustrates why this lapse is problematic. On that document, the inspector had checked “no” for all the questions related to that machine. That would indicate that the machine had several problems: that its tabulated results did not match the test deck, for instance, and that it did not prevent a voter from selecting more candidates than they were allowed to vote for. + +Whether this was an error by the inspector in completing the checklist, or an indication that the machine was actually malfunctioning during testing, is difficult, if not impossible, to determine. Since the inspector did not record the machine’s serial number, or its assigned precinct, on the checklist, his answers cannot be checked against the corresponding tapes and test deck. This also means the paperwork can't prove that a malfunctioning machine wasn't deployed in the November election. + +Commini said this inspector’s services “were not retained.” + +Commini said that while the checklists are “useful” in indicating the functions of the machine were checked, they’re not critical in proving the machines were functioning properly. + +He said it’s safe to assume, based on the election outcome, that a malfunctioning machine wasn’t put in service on Election Day. + +“The public can be assured, because if a machine is not working, it is not deployed,” he added. “We can prove the machines worked properly by the information counted during the official canvass. This is when we go through the machines’ tapes and match them to the results we are reporting.” + +Indeed, a machine’s proper functioning could be verified after the test with the zero tapes, results tapes, and test decks. But Votebeat and Spotlight PA’s review found that many of those documents were missing from the boxes. + + + +In total, Votebeat and Spotlight PA identified over 150 documents or sets of documents — including checklists, zero and results tapes, and test decks — that were missing from the four boxes. Votebeat and Spotlight PA sent a list of these missing documents to county spokesperson Brittney Waylen and Commini, who initially said that there were other boxes in the warehouse that “may contain those items.” + +But Waylen later said that after three trips to the Elections Warehouse, “Chris and his team could not find the boxes with the majority of the missing items.” + +The county was able to find three of the documents that were missing. + +## Reforms in the works + +In response to Votebeat and Spotlight PA’s review, the county made several changes to its process, and a reporter watched inspectors following that process during testing on April 8 for the upcoming primary. + +Each machine now has its own dedicated checklist with the precinct prewritten at the top. + +The field for the machine serial number is on the front of the form, rather than the back, and testers are being specifically instructed to fill it out. The front also now has an arrow at the bottom to indicate that the back contains new sections to be filled out by a supervisor. + +{{}} + +The county says it is also working on a better filing system. + +“We definitely have to get better on a lot of the things we did,” Commini said. “These are major changes that need to be done.” + +Other officials were troubled by Northampton’s problems and are interested in refining the logic and accuracy testing. + +In a joint letter to the Senate State Government Committee, the Northampton County Democratic and Republican party chairs pointed out that the machines the county uses also had a calibration error in 2019, which was not caught by pre-election testing. + +Matthew Munsey, chair of the Northampton County Democratic Party, said the testing that year was “awful” because the county used a feature built into the ExpressVote XL that automatically generated test ballots and ran them through the machine, rather than having test decks entered manually as the county does now. + +He’s happy Commini made that switch, but still, the disorganization makes finding paperwork like looking for “a needle in a haystack,” and he has noticed over the years that the checklists were not being filed out, because as he was told: “There’s no need for them to be.” + +“Sometimes people just put their initials down,” he said. “But it’s critical when you have a problem that you want to see what was done. … Failing to fill out the paperwork doesn’t show due diligence.” + +Northampton’s lapses have also prompted state legislators to step in, seeking to make sure all counties are using best practices for testing. + +Coleman, the Republican state senator representing neighboring Bucks and Lehigh counties and chair of the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee, said in an interview that he is working on a bill to tighten up the testing procedures. + +“It shouldn’t take a \[records request\] and 14 hours of research to determine if your county tested equipment properly,” he said + +He is working with the Department of State on a bill that would codify recent directives from the department on testing procedures. He said Pennsylvanians who buy gasoline can see right on the pump that the equipment was properly inspected, and he thinks voting equipment should be similar. + +“The fact of the matter is it may have to be a state law for counties to follow the procedures,” he said. “This is insanity and at some point, the adults have to step in and say, ‘You didn't listen to the Department of State, so the legislature has to step in and standardize the testing.’” + +It’s unclear if other counties have the kinds of flaws and disorganization in their testing documentation that Northampton does. The Department of State said all counties provided certification that they had completed testing, although Coleman said he is still waiting to see the details of those certifications to know exactly how thoroughly counties are complying with the testing. But the granular documentation — test decks, results tapes — would only be available at the county level through records requests. + +State Sen. Cris Dush, a Republican from Jefferson who chairs the Senate State Government Committee, said he will be co-sponsoring the legislation. Dush’s Democratic counterpart on the committee, Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, also said she was working with a Republican colleague to codify the Department of State’s directive, without mentioning Coleman’s bill directly. + +Codifying the department's recent directive would give the agency monitoring and enforcement authority, which would help prevent errors, Cappelletti said. + +“These additional checks and balances will bolster Pennsylvanians' confidence that our elections are being conducted appropriately," she said. + +
+ +The Department of State recently updated its directive on pre-election machine testing to clarify what voting patterns must be used when testing to avoid problems like only testing “yes” “yes” and “no” “no.” The department also offered new training sessions on how to perform the testing. + +Jerry Feaser, a former Dauphin County election director with 10 years of experience, said during his tests a separate county election office employee would check that documentation was filled out properly. He thinks much of a county's proficiency in the practice comes down to training. + +Northampton's 2023 documentation may have been more complete if a supervisor had signed off on each inspector's work. + +“This is one of these things where experience matters,” Feaser said. + +BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. + From a1eae5a8005c5484e6ef3e6971754ca6ed35e330 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Katie Meyer Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:30:38 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 02/22] Content: publishing "SPLNORTHDOCS" --- content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md | 2 -- 1 file changed, 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md index 3b2b32290c..b0a8c82d83 100644 --- a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md +++ b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md @@ -106,8 +106,6 @@ In Northampton, Commini downplayed the misfiled documents, noting that was only The checklists in Northampton’s boxes weren’t just misfiled. Large numbers of them were incomplete or inconsistent. More than 200 did not have the back filled out, which includes steps like removing mock ballots from the machine after testing. Some inspectors completed some questions that others skipped. And in some cases, the same inspector would fill out the same checklist differently for two precincts’ machines. None of the checklists had the line for supervisors’ initials filled out to indicate the inspector’s work had been checked. -Story continues below graphic. - From 5e4376111567d1be7a04e1c75ef4fcc2c0cf6b04 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Katie Meyer Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:45:55 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 03/22] Setting homepage configuration --- data/editorsPicks.json | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/data/editorsPicks.json b/data/editorsPicks.json index 8941c8593a..7edec64cc8 100644 --- a/data/editorsPicks.json +++ b/data/editorsPicks.json @@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ "content/news/2024-02-28-SPLHO24PRE.md" ], "topSlots": [ - "content/news/2024-04-23-SPLAPR23ELECINFO.md", + "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md", "content/news/2024-04-17-SPLAGCF24CY2.md", "content/statecollege/2024-04-16-SPLAGDOLLARS.md" ], From 733c4440dff62d2033f5db5489c55b7fdd6b25ee Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Almanack Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 04:57:02 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 04/22] Setting homepage configuration --- data/editorsPicks.json | 13 ++++++------- 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/data/editorsPicks.json b/data/editorsPicks.json index 7edec64cc8..8d393be6dc 100644 --- a/data/editorsPicks.json +++ b/data/editorsPicks.json @@ -12,18 +12,17 @@ "content/statecollege/2023-11-09-SPLSUPLIZIO.md" ], "featuredStories": [ - "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLCOMPPRI24.md" + "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md" ], "subfeatures": [ - "content/news/2024-04-11-SPLLEGVET.md", - "content/news/2024-02-19-SPLSENPRE24.md", - "content/news/2024-04-23-SPLAPR23ELECINFO.md", - "content/news/2024-02-28-SPLHO24PRE.md" + "content/news/2024-04-15-SPLMAIL101.md", + "content/news/2024-04-09-SPLSCHMIDTQA.md", + "content/news/2024-04-10-SPLUNDATAPP.md" ], "topSlots": [ + "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLCOMPPRI24.md", "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md", - "content/news/2024-04-17-SPLAGCF24CY2.md", - "content/statecollege/2024-04-16-SPLAGDOLLARS.md" + "content/news/2024-04-17-SPLAGCF24CY2.md" ], "topper": [] } \ No newline at end of file From 025a5e3b7ba2ed2ac192ba1d16de331215f1f104 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Colin Deppen Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 08:33:03 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 05/22] Content: publishing "PAPOST-04-19-24" --- .../newsletters/papost/2024-04-19-0700-76.md | 22 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 22 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/newsletters/papost/2024-04-19-0700-76.md diff --git a/content/newsletters/papost/2024-04-19-0700-76.md b/content/newsletters/papost/2024-04-19-0700-76.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4a1d873c80 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/newsletters/papost/2024-04-19-0700-76.md @@ -0,0 +1,22 @@ ++++ +blurb = "Plus, PA standardized tests to go digital." +description = "A vast majority of contests for seats in Pennsylvania’s House and Senate will be effectively decided by next week’s primary elections. Here's why." +draft = false +image = "2024/02/01jw-566v-n55g-y7qm.jpeg" +image-credit = "Commonwealth Media Services" +image-description = "Gov. Josh Shapiro delivers his budget address in the Capitol rotunda on Feb. 6, 2024." +internal-id = "PAPOST-04-19-24" +kicker = "PA Post" +layout = "mailchimp-page" +modal-exclude = false +no-index = false +pinned = false +published = 2024-04-19T07:00:00-04:00 +raw-content = " \n \n \n Plus, PA standardized tests to go digital.\n \n
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Your Postmaster: Tanisha Thomas
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\n \n Today: Minority rule, Boyle update, endless waits, online tests, contraceptive change, and the Voter Hall of Fame. Thanks for checking in.\n
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A vast majority of contests for seats in Pennsylvania’s House and Senate will be effectively decided by next week’s primary elections, leaving control of the legislature and its policy agenda in the hands of a small minority of voters.
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The state’s closed primary system only allows Democrats and Republicans to participate in their party’s spring election, leaving out the state’s 1.3 million unaffiliated and third-party voters. Additionally, the races for just 14% of the 228 seats on the ballot this year are expected to be competitive. Only 1.9 million of Pennsylvania’s 8.7 million voters live in these districts.
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\nRead Spotlight PA's full report: The vast majority of Pa. legislative races will effectively be decided during the primary.
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\n"I hear some of my family will be endorsing President Biden today. I am pleased they are politically active — it’s a family tradition."\n\n
 
\n—Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his family endorsing President Joe Biden, instead of him, in Philadelphia Thursday.\n
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\n \n 🗳️ ELECTION ESSENTIALS\n
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📅 UPCOMING EVENTS\n

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\n \n BROKEN PRIMARIES: Join us TODAY from 6-7 p.m. ET on Zoom for a Spotlight PA members-only event with Nick Troiano, author of The Primary Solution, a new book on how our partisan primaries are fueling the political divide in America and what we can do about it. Sponsored by Ballot PA.
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\nBecome a Spotlight PA member here and you'll be automatically registered for the event.
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\n \n 📷 POST IT\n
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\n \n A black rat snake sunning itself in a tree at Swatara State Park, Lebanon County, via Dan E. Have a Pennsylvania photo to share? Send it to us by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. \n
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EXPULSION EYED: State Rep. Kevin Boyle (D., Philadelphia) is facing a warrant for his arrest and now possible expulsion from the House. In response to Boyle's situation, the AP reports Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) has proposed a new process for determining if state representatives are “incapacitated” and to sanction or expel them. Boyle has been open about his mental health struggles.
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ONLINE EXAMS: Pennsylvania standardized tests are going fully online by 2026, Gov. Shapiro said Thursday. Capital-Star reports the change aims to speed up Keystone Exams and the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, saving time and money. Some 32% of districts have already shifted to online testing. Shapiro wants to do away with the tests completely but says federal funding would be cut.
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WAITING LIST: The Shapiro administration this week announced a plan to eventually end long waits faced by thousands of Pennsylvania families seeking state-subsidized support services for an intellectually disabled relative, the AP reports. An estimated 4,500 families are on the emergency waitlist now amid an industry-wide staffing shortage. Shapiro is calling for several years of funding hikes to end the backlog.
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AT-LARGE LAWSUIT: The Hazleton Area School District wants a lawsuit against its at-large voting system dismissed. Two Latino parents brought the suit, alleging the election method diminishes the power of Hispanic votes, in violation of the Voting Rights Act. The district countered, saying Republicans are blocking Hispanic candidates from winning, not white voters, Standard-Speaker (paywall) reports. 
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ROE REACTION: More young Americans sought permanent contraceptive procedures after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, according to a new study by the University of Pittsburgh and Boston University. Sterilization procedure rates were already rising among patients ages 18 to 30, but they jumped significantly in June 2022 after a draft of the U.S. Supreme Court decision was leaked.
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\n 🗞️ THINK YOU'RE PRETTY SMART? Prove it with this week's PA News Quiz: 2024 primary questions, January 6 charges, and Biden tariffs.\n
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VOTER RECOGNITION: A Montgomery County commissioner held the county’s first Voter Hall of Fame event this month to encourage turnout. Meet some of Pennsylvania's Hall of Fame voters here.
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CANCEL CRITICS: Some Cumberland Valley School District parents want to salvage a 30 Rock actor’s canceled appearance, calling the school board’s decision an attempt to stop a positive message, per PennLive (paywall). 
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HELL-SPOTTERS: Environmentalists want Pennsylvanians to report hellbender sightings so we can collectively learn how to improve conditions for the official state amphibian, whose survivability is threatened. 
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MIRACLE MOMENT: A Pennsylvania woman found her guardian angel at a Taco Bell in Bucks County last week when an employee ran out to perform CPR on her baby, who was struggling to breathe. 
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NAME IDEAS: The Philadelphia Menace and Philadelphia Freedom were a couple of names pitched by Axios readers as Philly looks to land a WNBA expansion team. Philly is one of the cities the league is eyeing.
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Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag. Answers submitted by 5:30 p.m. on issue date will be counted.
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N C L R U O F S
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\nYesterday's answer: Expressive
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\n \n" +slug = "pennsylvania-primary-2024-legislative-elections" +suppress-date = false +title = "A sliver of voters decide most legislative races" +title-tag = "Sliver of PA voters decide most legislative races" ++++ + + From f0cdcafcdee812f694e752877bdbac6870761e80 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Rafacz Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:03:49 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 06/22] Content: publishing "TALKOFTHETOWN-04-18-24" --- .../talkofthetown/2024-04-18-1000-a7.md | 19 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 19 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/newsletters/talkofthetown/2024-04-18-1000-a7.md diff --git a/content/newsletters/talkofthetown/2024-04-18-1000-a7.md b/content/newsletters/talkofthetown/2024-04-18-1000-a7.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..38d7ef8cde --- /dev/null +++ b/content/newsletters/talkofthetown/2024-04-18-1000-a7.md @@ -0,0 +1,19 @@ ++++ +blurb = "Plus: Chat with reporters from Spotlight PA about local issues in Union County" +description = "Talk of the Town 4.18.24" +draft = false +internal-id = "TALKOFTHETOWN-04-18-24" +kicker = "Talk of the Town" +layout = "mailchimp-page" +modal-exclude = false +no-index = false +pinned = false +published = 2024-04-18T10:00:00-04:00 +raw-content = " \n \n \n Plus: Chat with reporters from Spotlight PA about local issues in Union County\n \n
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\nApril 18, 2024
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\n \n Inside this edition: Shapiro budget proposal aims to address shortcomings that curdled Fairlife facility deal, Penn State Extension to leave 20% of positions unfilled, and what you need to know ahead of Tuesday’s primary election 🗳️\n
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\n \n AGRICULTURE INVESTMENTS\n
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Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PA 
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\n \n Real quick: Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal invests in agricultural development and aims to address shortcomings that lost Pennsylvania a deal with a major milk brand looking to build a facility, Spotlight PA’s Marley Parish reports.
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\nA little more: When major dairy brand Fairlife chose New York over Pennsylvania for its new production facility last year, lawmakers and industry figures didn’t bite their tongues.
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\nThey blamed the failed bid and the missed $650 million investment on challenges with Pennsylvania's permitting process, a lack of construction-ready sites, and a shaky supply chain.
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\nWhile Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, didn’t mention Fairlife directly in his budget address, his $48.3 billion proposal reflects lessons from the experience. His spending plan earmarks hundreds of millions of dollars to prepare commercial and industrial sites for new owners, recruit new businesses, and fund agriculture grants.
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\nAgriculture and business development officials say the budget plan — along with the development strategy Shapiro rolled out earlier this year that identifies agriculture as a sector to target for economic growth — makes strides toward supporting existing farming operations and making Pennsylvania an attractive place to operate a business.
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\nThe full story: Read more here.\n
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\n \n 🗳️ ELECTION ESSENTIALS\n
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\n \n » CANDIDATE QUIZ: Find the best AG candidate for you
\n» Find key dates and answers to voter FAQs here
\n» Guides to state attorney general, auditor general, treasurer
\n» Guias de fiscal general del estado, auditor general y tesorero
\n» Races to watch: state House, state Senate
\n» Elections 101: poll watchers, pollbooks, voting machines, mail ballots\n
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\n \n 📝 FROM SPOTLIGHT PA\n
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\n \n » Pa. primary election 2024: How to vote, where to vote, and everything you need to know for April 23
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\n» Pa. election 2024: What the latest fundraising reports tell us about the attorney general race\n
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\n \n 📅 UPCOMING EVENTS\n
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\n \n » BROKEN PRIMARIES: Join us Friday, April 19 from 6-7 p.m. ET on Zoom for a Spotlight PA members-only event with Nick Troiano, author of The Primary Solution, a new book on how our partisan primaries are fueling the political divide in America and what we can do about it. Become a Spotlight PA member here and you'll be automatically registered for the event.
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\n» COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION: Hey Union County readers! The Spotlight PA State College team will be in Lewisburg on April 25! Drop by Amami Kitchen & Espresso Bar (103 S. 6th St.) between 9 a.m. and noon to chat with us about what local issues are important to you. Coffee is our treat!\n
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\n \n 📷 LOCAL GEM\n
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\n \n The view from the Musser Gap Greenway in Centre County, via Amy Z.
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\nHave a north-central Pennsylvania photo to share? Send it to us by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania.\n
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\n \n WAKE UP WITH SPOTLIGHT PA\n
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Our brand new ‘Now Brewing the Truth’ coffee/latte mugs are here! Matte black with white inside, perfect for every day use or as a gift! Proceeds from the Spotlight PA store benefit our nonprofit, nonpartisan journalism. 
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\nPlease allow 1-2 weeks for shipping. Have an idea for a product you'd like to see? Send us a note at membership@spotlightpa.org. 
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\n SHOP NOW\n
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\n \n 📰 IN OTHER NEWS\n
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\n \n » CDT: Is Penn State shutting down its Multicultural Resource Center?
\n» SC: Bellefonte council introduces acting police chief
\n» WPSU: Penn State Extension leaving 20% of positions unfilled
\n» Mirror: DCED blasts Hollidaysburg over $400K bridge grant
\n» Daily News: Huntingdon school district has $1M budget deficit
\n» Mirror: Five incarcerated people at Blair prison overdose\n
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\n \n 📅 EVENTS\n
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\n \n Want us to list your event? Send it to us.
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\n» April 20: Food, music, and live entertainment highlight the APIDA Heritage Festival Night Market in downtown State College, Centre County.
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\n» April 20: Water Wheel Carriages offers Pride and Prejudice rides in Lycoming County.
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\n» April 20: See live pro wrestling at Rusty Rail Brewing for the CommUnity Zone Fundraising Event, SlamFest Unity, in Union County.
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\n» April 20-21: Browse furniture, books, collectibles and more at the Spring Antique Show & Sawmill Run, held at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, in Potter County.
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\n» April 24-27: The Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous returns to Ridgway, Elk County, featuring live carving, food, entertainment, and an auction.\n
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\n \n 🧩 THE PUZZLER\n
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\n \n" +slug = "apr-18-how-shapiro-budget-would-prioritize-ag-development" +suppress-date = false +title = "How Shapiro budget would prioritize ag development" +title-tag = "How Shapiro budget would prioritize ag development" ++++ + + From 846db1e694d1077dadf0408ce7e4e0436a12371c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Anne Hughes Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 13:48:24 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 07/22] Content: publishing "SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524" --- content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md | 6 +++--- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md index 28d64db128..6537f4bc42 100644 --- a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md +++ b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md @@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ blurb = "In this week’s quiz: Questions for 2024 primary voters, Biden’s ste byline = "Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA" description = "In this week’s quiz: Questions for 2024 primary voters, Biden’s steel stance, and the Pennsylvania origins of the U.S. Supreme Court’s January 6 case." extended-kicker = "News Quiz" -image = "2024/04/01k1-fvsv-86f6-4s99.jpeg" -image-credit = "Illustration by Leise Hook / For Spotlight PA" -image-description = "An illustration of voting stickers and political insignia." +image = "2024/04/01k2-2vwf-kweb-vcr0.jpeg" +image-credit = "Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA" +image-description = "Northampton County voters head to the polls on Nov. 7, 2023, at the Forks Township Community Center." internal-id = "SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524" kicker = "Week of April 15, 2024" modal-exclude = false From f6a7af53dc6a609b362ac8142ca7723b5e76dca4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Anne Hughes Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 13:48:57 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 08/22] Content: publishing "SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524" --- content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md index 6537f4bc42..6c470940d8 100644 --- a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md +++ b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md @@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ blurb = "In this week’s quiz: Questions for 2024 primary voters, Biden’s ste byline = "Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA" description = "In this week’s quiz: Questions for 2024 primary voters, Biden’s steel stance, and the Pennsylvania origins of the U.S. Supreme Court’s January 6 case." extended-kicker = "News Quiz" -image = "2024/04/01k2-2vwf-kweb-vcr0.jpeg" +image = "external/e2m6zgj9chagydsjwwqnkx2kx8.jpeg" image-credit = "Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA" -image-description = "Northampton County voters head to the polls on Nov. 7, 2023, at the Forks Township Community Center." +image-description = "Mail-in ballots are sorted and counted at Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown. " internal-id = "SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524" kicker = "Week of April 15, 2024" modal-exclude = false From bd52d804c6309aec6a7b2ddab7f64d153b4ad561 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Anne Hughes Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:14:50 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 09/22] Content: publishing "SPLAP24PRIMRES" --- content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md | 191 ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 191 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md b/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..cc2def309d --- /dev/null +++ b/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md @@ -0,0 +1,191 @@ ++++ +aliases = ["/news/2024/04/pennsylvania-election-results-2024-primary/"] +blurb = "See full results for presidential, congressional, row office, and legislative races in the 2024 Pennsylvania primary election." +byline = "Spotlight PA Staff" +description = "See full results for presidential, congressional, row office, and legislative races in the 2024 Pennsylvania primary election." +image = "2024/04/01k1-fvsv-86f6-4s99.jpeg" +image-credit = "Leise Hook / For Spotlight PA" +image-description = "Pennsylvania 2024 election illustration" +internal-id = "SPLAP24PRIMRES" +kicker = "Elections" +modal-exclude = false +pinned = false +published = 2024-04-19T13:52:27.916-04:00 +slug = "pennsylvania-election-results-2024-primary" +suppress-date = false +title = "Latest results from the 2024 Pennsylvania primary election" +title-tag = "2024 Pennsylvania primary election results" +topics = ["Elections"] +url = "/elections-2024/results/" ++++ + +Results to watch include Pennsylvania attorney general, Pennsylvania treasurer, and Pennsylvania auditor general. Results will begin to show after 8 p.m. on April 23. + +Results for races can also be found on the Department of State website. + +For complete coverage of the 2024 primary election, visit Spotlight PA’s Election Center. + +Last updated April 19, 2024, at 2:15 p.m. + +
+ +

Pennsylvania election results

+ +On April 23, Democratic and Republican voters will cast their ballots in the primary election. They will determine which candidates will go on to run in the general election for president, Congress (U.S. House and Senate), row offices (attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer), and the Pennsylvania legislature. + +To ensure we are reporting the most accurate results and to avoid contributing to confusion, Spotlight PA will not report on projected winners or publish results stories until the Associated Press calls the race. For many reasons, the AP may not make all calls on the night of the election. + +For voters interested in seeing rolling tallies, Spotlight PA will publish and make available for free a tool that displays Associated Press results. Those results will be displayed under each office noted below. Please check back as results will be updated regularly. + +### Pa. Election Results + +- Pennsylvania election results + +- U.S. president + +- U.S. Senate + +- U.S. House + +- Pennsylvania attorney general + +- Pennsylvania auditor general + +- Pennsylvania treasurer + +- Pennsylvania House + +- Pennsylvania Senate + +- Frequently asked questions + + - Q: When will we know the final results of the primary election? + + - Q: How can I find the latest election results in Pennsylvania? + + - Q: Can I track my mail-in ballot in Pennsylvania? + + - Q: What happens if there is a recount? + + - Q: How does the media get election results? + + - Q: What is the process for certifying election results in Pennsylvania? + +

U.S. president

+ +In 2020, Pennsylvania was one of the decisive states in President Joe Biden’s victory after a highly contentious presidential election during the COVID-19 pandemic. Former President Donald Trump denied the loss, baselessly claimed fraud, and ultimately encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol while votes were being certified, in what culminated in the Jan. 6 riot and insurrection. + +Biden has already won enough delegates in the primary to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, though U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota will appear on the primary ballot in Pennsylvania despite suspending his campaign in early March. + +Trump has secured the nomination for the Republican Party; despite dropping out of the race, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will appear on the ballot here. + + + +

U.S. Senate

+ +This year, the primary U.S. Senate race is down to two candidates: Democratic incumbent and three-term U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and Republican David McCormick. + + + +

U.S. House

+ +All 17 members of the Pennsylvania’s U.S. House delegation — nine Democrats and eight Republicans — seek reelection in 2024. Who is listed on your ballot will be dictated by the congressional district you live in. + +To find who is running in your district, visit the state’s legislator lookup tool. + + + +

Pennsylvania attorney general

+ +In the race for attorney general, Michelle Henry — who was appointed to replace Josh Shapiro after he departed the office to become governor — is not running to keep the role, which leaves the field open. + +Democrats Keir Bradford-Grey, Eugene DePasquale, Joe Khan, Jared Solomon, and Jack Stollsteimer are all competing for their party’s nomination. On the Republican side, Dave Sunday and Craig Williams are competing for theirs. + +You can read more about the candidates for attorney general here. + + + +

Pennsylvania auditor general

+ +The race for auditor general has Republican incumbent Tim DeFoor running unopposed for the GOP nomination, while Malcolm Kenyatta and Mark Pinsley compete for the Democratic nomination. + +You can read more about the candidates for auditor general here. + + + +

Pennsylvania treasurer

+ +The race for treasurer has Republican incumbent Stacy Garrity unopposed in her party’s primary, while Democrats Ryan Bizzarro and Erin McClelland compete for their party’s nod. + +You can read more about the candidates for treasurer here. + + + +

Pennsylvania House

+ +The Pennsylvania General Assembly acts as the legislative branch of the commonwealth, and as in the U.S. Congress, is composed of a lower and upper chamber: the House of Representatives and the Senate. + +The state House has 203 members. All state representatives must run for reelection every two years. + +Learn more about how to vet your legislative candidates. + + + +

Pennsylvania Senate

+ +The Pennsylvania General Assembly acts as the legislative branch of the commonwealth, and as in the U.S. Congress, is composed of a lower and upper chamber: the House of Representatives and the Senate. + +The state Senate consists of 50 members. The chamber’s senators are elected to four-year terms, and half the body stands for election every two years. In 2024, lawmakers in odd-numbered districts are on the ballot. + +Learn more about how to vet your legislative candidates. + + + +

Frequently asked questions

+ +

Q: When will we know the final results of the primary election?

+ +A: Votes will be counted throughout the evening on April 23 after polls close at 8 p.m. and released in batches for several hours. By state law, Pennsylvania counties cannot process mail ballots before Election Day, and many have different procedures for counting votes and in what order. + +Still, election experts expect unofficial results for most races will be available on election night. + +

Q: How can I find the latest election results in Pennsylvania?

+ +A: For statewide races and races for the General Assembly, you can check the Department of State’s election results website here. + +

Q: Can I track my mail-in ballot in Pennsylvania?

+ +A: Yes, the Pennsylvania Department of State allows you to track your ballot on its website. Go to pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/BallotTracking.aspx, where you will see a prompt to enter your name, date of birth, and county of residence. You can also contact your county election office to confirm the status of your ballot. + +

Q: What happens if there is a recount?

+ +In Pennsylvania, a recount is automatically triggered when the margin is .5% or less. Election officials must then carry out the recount. + +Three or more voters in a voting precinct can also request a recount. Candidates cannot request a recount. + +A recount must be completed within three weeks of the election. + +Learn more about recounts from The Inquirer. + +

Q: How does the media get election results?

+ +A: The Pennsylvania Department of State makes election results available to the media. + +

Q: What is the process for certifying election results in Pennsylvania?

+ +A: According to reporting by Votebeat, the process begins when the polls close and “counties begin uploading in-person results to their websites and that of the Department of State.” + +A few days later, counties will begin their official canvass of the election. + +“The canvass is just going through and double-, triple-checking that you have all of the ballots accounted for,” said Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Iowa who specializes in elections law, in 2022. Election officials are “making sure that everything is included and that every lawfully cast ballot is included in that final tally.” + +“County elections offices will process provisional ballots during this time, checking to make sure the voters who cast them had not already submitted a mail-in ballot or whether the provisional ballots were somehow otherwise ineligible,” Votebeat reported. “Counties will also ‘reconcile’ their votes, meaning they will check to ensure that the number of voters recorded as having cast ballots in a given precinct matches the number of ballots counted from that precinct.” + +“County elections offices also perform post-election audits during this period. Counties are required to do a recount of a random sample of 2% of ballots cast or 2,000 ballots, whichever is fewer. Many counties also began conducting risk-limiting audits after the 2020 election, in which a random sample of ballots are hand-counted to ensure the totals match the results from the tabulation machine.” + +By the Tuesday after Election Day, counties must submit results — as up-to-date as possible, but still unofficial — to the Department of State. These figures could change slightly as military and overseas ballots are counted and included in the tallies, per Votebeat. + +“Local boards of election, comprised of the county’s commissioners, must sign a copy of the results twice for an election to be certified. Typically, candidates raise any challenges to the canvassing process in the five-day window between the first and second signings.” + +Learn more about election certification from Votebeat. + From 4b439d1fab2fb50bededb58698ea07046971e0a8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Anne Hughes Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:29:32 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 10/22] Content: publishing "SPLTR24PRGU" --- content/news/2024-03-26-SPLTR24PRGU.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/content/news/2024-03-26-SPLTR24PRGU.md b/content/news/2024-03-26-SPLTR24PRGU.md index d7af699f60..debf55e443 100644 --- a/content/news/2024-03-26-SPLTR24PRGU.md +++ b/content/news/2024-03-26-SPLTR24PRGU.md @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ series = ["Voting Guides 2024"] slug = "pennsylvania-election-2024-treasurer-primary-candidates-stacy-garrity-ryan-bizzarro-erin-mcclelland" suppress-date = false title = "Pa. election 2024: Your guide to the primary candidates for treasurer" -title-tag = "PA election: Guide to candidates for treasurer" +title-tag = "Election 2024: Your guide to PA treasurer candidates" topics = ["Elections"] +++ From 50b338f2bf02a7178d47a95d2c74d2f1ff2e47b8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Anne Hughes Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:55:37 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 11/22] Content: publishing "SPLAP24PRIMRES" --- content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md b/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md index cc2def309d..7ba758a391 100644 --- a/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md +++ b/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md @@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ For complete coverage of the 2024 primary election,
-

Pennsylvania election results

On April 23, Democratic and Republican voters will cast their ballots in the primary election. They will determine which candidates will go on to run in the general election for president, Congress (U.S. House and Senate), row offices (attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer), and the Pennsylvania legislature. @@ -143,6 +141,8 @@ Learn more about Frequently asked questions +
+

Q: When will we know the final results of the primary election?

A: Votes will be counted throughout the evening on April 23 after polls close at 8 p.m. and released in batches for several hours. By state law, Pennsylvania counties cannot process mail ballots before Election Day, and many have different procedures for counting votes and in what order. From fd6405eca4211fc6a6e5bd8566d1557620363e1d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Carlana Johnson Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 17:55:15 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 12/22] Content: publishing "SPLAP24PRIMRES" --- content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md b/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md index 7ba758a391..78930a9a5a 100644 --- a/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md +++ b/content/news/2024-04-19-SPLAP24PRIMRES.md @@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ Learn more about will be available on election night. +Still, election experts expect unofficial results for most races will be available on election night.

Q: How can I find the latest election results in Pennsylvania?

From faf446b82c2ddd0ac7b512c4019dece62c60d2c8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Baxter Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2024 09:20:27 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 13/22] Setting site parameters --- config/_default/params.json | 24 +++++++++++++----------- 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-) diff --git a/config/_default/params.json b/config/_default/params.json index 2a48344c40..350f68251d 100644 --- a/config/_default/params.json +++ b/config/_default/params.json @@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ ], "ad-breaker-link": "/donate", "ad-featured-active": true, - "ad-featured-image-description": "Join Spotlight PA for a special event at 6 p.m. April 19 on how our partisan primaries are fueling the national political divide.", + "ad-featured-image-description": "Support Spotlight PA's unmatched election reporting.", "ad-featured-images": [ - "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k1/dr0j/spotlight-pa-live-row-races-final-300-x-250-px-.png" + "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k2/7g2m/sunshine-week-2024-300-x-250-.png" ], - "ad-featured-link": "https://spotlightpa.fundjournalism.org/events/?campaign=701Ub000006mhonIAA", + "ad-featured-link": "/donate", "ad-headwater-active": false, "ad-headwater-image-description": "For a limited time, all gifts in support of Spotlight PA's nonprofit, nonpartisan journalism will be DOUBLED.", "ad-headwater-images": [ @@ -77,9 +77,11 @@ "river-promo-mobile-height": 250, "river-promo-mobile-images": [], "river-promo-mobile-width": 500, - "sidebar-sticky-description": "For a limited time, support Spotlight PA's nonprofit, nonpartisan journalism and your gift will be DOUBLED.", + "sidebar-sticky-description": "Support Spotlight PA's unmatched election reporting for Pennsylvania.", "sidebar-sticky-height": 250, - "sidebar-sticky-images": [], + "sidebar-sticky-images": [ + "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k2/7g2g/sunshine-week-2024-300-x-250-1-.png" + ], "sidebar-sticky-link": "/donate", "sidebar-sticky-width": 300, "sidebar-top-description": "Get the top news from across Pennsylvania, plus some fun and a puzzle, all in one free daily email newsletter.", @@ -110,19 +112,19 @@ "takeover-hed": "Only 12 hours left to support Spotlight PA", "takeover-image": "2023/08/01jc-na64-bn8a-9vdz.jpeg", "takeover-link": "https://spotlightpa.fundjournalism.org/donate/?campaign=701Dn000000YqKfIAK", - "topper-active": false, - "topper-bg-color": "#000000", + "topper-active": true, + "topper-bg-color": "#ffffff", "topper-desktop-height": 225, "topper-desktop-images": [ - "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k0/33gv/sunshine-week-website-toppertracker-1-.svg" + "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k2/7g2j/spring-campaign-topper-tracker-32-.svg" ], "topper-desktop-width": 1350, - "topper-divider-color": "#000000", - "topper-image-description": "If you missed our Sunshine Week member drive, you can still give now at spotlightpa.org/donate", + "topper-divider-color": "#004590", + "topper-image-description": "Support trusted, unbiased election reporting for Pennsylvania.", "topper-link": "/donate/", "topper-mobile-height": 512, "topper-mobile-images": [ - "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k0/32kx/sunshine-week-website-toppertracker-1024-x-512-px-.svg" + "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k2/7g2k/spring-campaign-2023-rectangles-19-.svg" ], "topper-mobile-width": 1024 } \ No newline at end of file From 2e6ca6b4b82e9169b4b2e549e8f71a6935b166fd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Almanack Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 03:57:02 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 14/22] Content: publishing "SPL24PRIMRESWHEN" --- content/news/2024-04-22-SPL24PRIMRESWHEN.md | 83 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 83 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/news/2024-04-22-SPL24PRIMRESWHEN.md diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-22-SPL24PRIMRESWHEN.md b/content/news/2024-04-22-SPL24PRIMRESWHEN.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..0356b16223 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/news/2024-04-22-SPL24PRIMRESWHEN.md @@ -0,0 +1,83 @@ ++++ +authors = ["Katie Meyer"] +blurb = "On Pennsylvania’s April 23 primary ballot are races for president, U.S. House and Senate, attorney general, auditor general, treasurer, and more." +byline = "Katie Meyer of Spotlight PA" +description = "On Pennsylvania’s April 23 primary ballot are races for president, U.S. House and Senate, attorney general, auditor general, treasurer, and more." +image = "2023/11/01jn-4rmk-w3rm-9bm6.jpeg" +image-credit = "Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA" +image-description = "A mail ballot drop box is displayed Nov. 7, 2023, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania." +internal-id = "SPL24PRIMRESWHEN" +kicker = "Elections" +modal-exclude = false +pinned = false +published = 2024-04-22T04:00:00-04:00 +slug = "pennsylvania-primary-election-results-2024-when-to-expect" +suppress-date = false +title = "Pa. election 2024: When voters can expect primary results" +title-tag = "When will Pennsylvania primary results be ready?" +topics = ["Elections"] ++++ + +Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. + +HARRISBURG — Election experts in Pennsylvania expect largely smooth sailing at the polls this week, anticipating the unofficial results for most races on the April 23 ballot will be available on election night. + +Pennsylvania has been holding elections using no-excuse mail voting since 2019, and the state has steadily moved from persistent delays in reporting results to relatively quick turnarounds. This has been accomplished mostly thanks to workers’ increasing familiarity with the mail process, and state grants allowing counties to upgrade their equipment. + +“I would expect almost all counties to be able to report an overwhelming number of those ballots on election night,” said Jeff Greenburg, a former Mercer County election director who now works for the good-government group Committee of Seventy. He added that “there could be a few that stretch into Wednesday.” + +
+ +On the ballot are candidates for president and U.S. Senate, though those races are essentially decided on both sides of the aisle. More lively are the races for Pennsylvania’s three row offices: both the Democratic and Republican attorney general primaries have multiple candidates, and there are competitive Democratic primaries for treasurer and auditor general. + +The state House and Senate are also full of races to watch. + +Final outcomes for most of the races in both chambers will be decided in the primary, thanks in part to legislative maps that have created a relatively small number of truly swingable districts. Races to watch include those of state House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler, who is being challenged from the right for his Lancaster County district, and Democratic state Rep. Amen Brown, who faces two challengers to his left in a West Philly district that has in recent years seen repeated turnover in its representation. + +As of Friday morning, the Pennsylvania Department of State had approved nearly 896,000 applications for mail ballots; it approved 1.82 million during the presidential primary in 2020. That year, just under 80% of voters returned those mail ballots, according to the department. + +Voters who have already filled out and returned their mail ballots may have noticed several changes from previous years. The department put these in place to cut down on common ballot errors like failing to sign or date them, misdating them, or forgetting to use an interior secrecy envelope, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt. + +“Since the 2020 election cycle, thousands of mail ballots have not been able to be counted because of errors that voters made while completing their mail ballots,” Schmidt said in one of several recent, daily updates on election preparations. + +The redesigned ballots include an instruction sheet that has graphics. The interior secrecy envelope is now yellow, which Schmidt says is intended to distinguish it more clearly from the outer envelope. The outer envelope also has a colored stripe to help the Postal Service identify election mail, and it includes a revised section for dating and signing the ballot that highlights where these elements must go. + +The redesign also is in part an acknowledgment of the state laws and court rulings currently dictating Pennsylvania’s mail voting rules. + +The handling of undated and misdated ballots, in particular, is still under active litigation. The most recent decision on the subject saw a three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rule that ballots must be properly dated. If a voter fails to date an outer ballot envelope or writes a clearly incorrect date, such as their birthday, counties must reject the ballot. + +Voting rights groups are appealing the ruling on the grounds that a missing or incorrect date is an immaterial error, and that rejecting these ballots disenfranchises eligible voters. However, the status quo will not change before the primary election. + +There also remain several areas of state law in which there is no consistent statewide rule. Counties can decide whether to offer remote drop boxes for mail ballot returns. And they can decide whether to offer ballot curing, in which election officials notify voters of mail ballot mistakes before Election Day. + +
+ +In an email to Spotlight PA, a Pennsylvania Department of State spokesperson said that it encourages counties to allow curing “so that \[voters\] are not needlessly disenfranchised.” + +Over the past several years, county election officials have pushed for changes in state law they say would allow them to process mail ballots more quickly and easily — in particular, they want pre-canvassing. At the moment, election workers can only start processing mail ballots at 7 a.m. on Election Day. Allowing this to begin ahead of Election Day is a common practice among states with widespread mail voting. + +The legislature has failed to OK this change, frustrating voting rights advocates like Greenburg. He told Spotlight PA, “Even a few days of pre-processing — if authorized by the General Assembly — would eliminate this question and uncertainty \[about the timing of results\] altogether.” + +“It remains ridiculous that this simple election administration improvement hasn't been enacted,” he said. + +Counties have been able to make other updates to their processes thanks in large part to state grants the legislature authorized in 2022. The law creating the grants also required counties to tabulate ballots continuously through the night to get their counts done more quickly, and also allowed them to purchase new tech that speeds up the process. + +One piece of technology counties are increasingly adopting is the electronic pollbook. + +Some voters may see these pollbooks for the first time this primary. From a voter perspective, the update is relatively minor. E-pollbooks are tablets that replace the paper pollbooks voters have traditionally used to sign in voters. + +They can make the sign-in process quicker, but the biggest differences that come with their use happen behind the scenes. + +In particular, e-pollbooks dramatically speed up the process of pollbook reconciliation, which involves election workers scanning every voter’s name into the commonwealth’s Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors — or SURE — system, to verify that nobody voted more than once. With paper pollbooks, that involves individually scanning a barcode beside every voter’s name. With electronic ones, it happens at the touch of a button. + +As of the November 2023 municipal election, 25 of the commonwealth’s 67 counties were using electronic pollbooks — up from 19 in last year’s May primary. + +{{}} + +BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. + From 965f466d234a7d7b5120da05eb3e6d606fb45724 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Almanack Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 04:57:02 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 15/22] Setting homepage configuration --- data/editorsPicks.json | 14 ++++++++------ 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/data/editorsPicks.json b/data/editorsPicks.json index 8d393be6dc..96bb2adda2 100644 --- a/data/editorsPicks.json +++ b/data/editorsPicks.json @@ -12,17 +12,19 @@ "content/statecollege/2023-11-09-SPLSUPLIZIO.md" ], "featuredStories": [ - "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md" + "content/news/2024-04-22-SPL24PRIMRESWHEN.md" ], "subfeatures": [ - "content/news/2024-04-15-SPLMAIL101.md", - "content/news/2024-04-09-SPLSCHMIDTQA.md", - "content/news/2024-04-10-SPLUNDATAPP.md" + "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md", + "content/news/2024-04-11-SPLLEGVET.md", + "content/news/2024-03-12-SPLAUD24PRIGU.md", + "content/news/2024-03-26-SPLTR24PRGU.md", + "content/news/2024-03-19-SPLAG24PRIMGU.md" ], "topSlots": [ + "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNORTHDOCS.md", "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLCOMPPRI24.md", - "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md", - "content/news/2024-04-17-SPLAGCF24CY2.md" + "content/news/2024-04-18-SPLNEWSQUIZAPR1524.md" ], "topper": [] } \ No newline at end of file From bbe809dd324136890233f7f879587ce718e4ba79 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Carlana Johnson Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:01:44 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 16/22] majorDonors.json: updating donor wall --- data/supporters/majorDonors.json | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/data/supporters/majorDonors.json b/data/supporters/majorDonors.json index 4530eba831..da35d6747f 100644 --- a/data/supporters/majorDonors.json +++ b/data/supporters/majorDonors.json @@ -1048,7 +1048,7 @@ { "display": "The Snider Foundation", "sort": "Snider", - "url": "https://www.sniderfoundation.org/" + "url": "" }, { "display": "Christine Spolar", From 9b6b5cf47d8586fe405bf889b4edf2b72dd5f5b0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Baxter Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:15:15 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 17/22] Content: publishing "SPLAPR23VOTEINFO" --- content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md | 10 ++++++++++ 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+) diff --git a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md index 021143de52..486264a5f1 100644 --- a/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md +++ b/content/news/2024-04-18-SPLAPR23VOTEINFO.md @@ -27,6 +27,16 @@ On Tuesday, April 23, voters across the commonwealth will determine which candid Before you submit your ballot, here’s a last-minute checklist of everything you’ll need to vote. +{{}} +
+ First, the basics: - Make sure you’re registered. You can check your voter registration status on the Pennsylvania Department of State website. Unfortunately, if you’re not already registered, it’s too late to vote in this election cycle. From 958d45ceaa18ae19d25e9e4d86fdf5ee80fb59f3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Colin Deppen Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:25:24 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 18/22] Content: publishing "INVESTIGATOR-04-18-24" --- .../investigator/2024-04-18-1200-70.md | 22 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 22 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/newsletters/investigator/2024-04-18-1200-70.md diff --git a/content/newsletters/investigator/2024-04-18-1200-70.md b/content/newsletters/investigator/2024-04-18-1200-70.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..8f69848566 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/newsletters/investigator/2024-04-18-1200-70.md @@ -0,0 +1,22 @@ ++++ +blurb = "Plus, everything you need to know for Election Day." +description = "Millions of voters across the political spectrum will have little choice this year in who represents them in the state House and Senate. Here's why." +draft = false +image = "2023/08/01jd-ah85-c3ry-svfm.jpeg" +image-credit = "Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PA" +image-description = "The exterior of the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg." +internal-id = "INVESTIGATOR-04-18-24" +kicker = "The Investigator" +layout = "mailchimp-page" +modal-exclude = false +no-index = false +pinned = false +published = 2024-04-18T12:00:00-04:00 +raw-content = " \n \n \n Plus, everything you need to know for Election Day.\n \n
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A weekly newsletter by \"Spotlight
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\nApril 18, 2024 | spotlightpa.org
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Millions of voters across the political spectrum will have little choice this year in who represents them in the state House and Senate.
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\nThat's thanks to a lack of competitive state legislative districts coupled with Pennsylvania's closed primary system, Spotlight PA's Kate Huangpu reports.
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\nAlso this week, Spotlight PA continued to prepare voters to participate in Tuesday's primary election. We have an explainer on mail ballot security and the latest on fundraising in the attorney general's race. Keep reading to get all the info you need to cast a ballot next week. 
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\nFinally, Gov. Josh Shapiro's budget reflects lessons Pennsylvania learned from losing major dairy brand Fairlife to New York.

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\n \n BROKEN PRIMARIES: Join us Friday, April 19 from 6-7 p.m. ET on Zoom for a Spotlight PA members-only event with Nick Troiano, author of The Primary Solution, a new book on how our partisan primaries are fueling the political divide in America and what we can do about it.
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\nBecome a Spotlight PA member here and you'll be automatically registered for the event.
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\n \n VIA SPOTLIGHT PA\n
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» Penn State increases transparency into misconduct reports. Here’s what the data say.

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All the information you need for Election Day

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Pennsylvania’s 2024 primary election is here.
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\nDemocrats and Republicans will head to the polls to select candidates for president, U.S. House and Senate, Pennsylvania’s three row offices (attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer), and state House and Senate. 
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\nThe winners will face each other during the Nov. 5 general election.
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\nHere are answers to some of your most frequently asked questions. —Elizabeth Estrada, Spotlight PA
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\nWhen is the 2024 primary election in Pennsylvania?
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\nNext Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
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\nWhen do polls open for Pennsylvania’s 2024 primary election?
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\nPolls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. As long as you are in line to vote by 8 p.m., you are entitled to cast a ballot.
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\nWhere do I vote?
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\nYou can find your polling location on the Pennsylvania Department of State website.
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\nAm I registered to vote?
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\nYou can check your voter registration online. Search using your name, county, ZIP code, and birthday, or by entering your driver’s license or PennDOT identification card number.
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\nCan I vote if I forgot to register?
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\nUnfortunately, April 8 was the deadline to register to vote in this election.
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\nCan I vote if my registration is inactive?
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\nYes! A voter is marked inactive if they have not voted for two consecutive federal election cycles and haven’t responded to a county notice about their registration.
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\nIf that’s your status, you can still vote on April 23. You’ll just have to sign a form confirming your eligibility when you visit your polling place.
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\nCan I vote if I moved but haven’t updated my registration?
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\nIf you moved within Pennsylvania less than 30 days before the election, you have to vote at the polling place for your old address. If you moved within the commonwealth more than 30 days ago but haven’t yet updated your registration, you can vote at the polling place for your old address for one election.
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\nIf you have specifically moved from one county to another, you must fill out a form at your polling place with your new address and county. This will allow officials to update your voter registration in both counties after the election. Once they do that, you will get a new voter registration card matching your new address.
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\nRead more in the “If you move” section of the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website.
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\nWhat do I need to bring to vote?
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\nIf this is your first time voting or your first time voting since changing addresses, you’ll need to bring proof of identification. This can include any government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport, a utility bill or bank statement that includes your name and address, or a military or student ID. See the full list of options here.
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\nI voted by mail. How do I check my ballot has been received?
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\nYou can check the status of your mail ballot online.
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\nI still have my mail ballot. How can I return it?
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\nYour county must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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\nDo not put your ballot in the mail since it will not arrive by the deadline.
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\nInstead, drop it off at your county election office or at a satellite location or drop box, if your county offers those options. See a full list of ballot drop-off locations.
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\nFollow all the instructions to make sure your ballot is counted.
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\nI requested a mail ballot but haven’t gotten it. What should I do?
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\nIf you have not received your mail ballot, you can still vote in person at your polling location.
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\nA poll worker will offer you a provisional ballot, which will be counted after election officials confirm you did not submit a mail ballot.
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\nI have a mail ballot but don’t want to use it. How can I vote?
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\nBring all your mail ballot components, including the envelopes, to your polling place and turn them over to poll workers. You’ll be required to sign a form declaring that you haven’t voted by mail. After that, you should be allowed to vote at the precinct.

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🤔 NEXT QUESTION: Are you on top of the news? Prove it with the latest edition of the Great PA News Quiz: 2024 primary questions, January 6 charges, and Biden tariffs
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\n \n WEEKLY RUNDOWN\n
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\n \n » AP: PGH congressional race could test Democrats critical of Israel\n\n\n

» CAP-STAR: Pa. House amends campaign finance bills

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» ERIE TIMES-NEWS: County Exec. Brenton Davis uses police-like badge

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» INQUIRER: Parker wants to cut $1M in funding for Prevention Point

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» LNP: SCOTUS upholds fine against Smucker for ducking security

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» PENNLIVE: 2 staffers still paid after 2021 Pa. commission disbanded 

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» SCOTUSBLOG: Justices divided over case involving Jan. 6 participant

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» WESA: ACLU asks Washington Co. to notify voters of mail ballot issues

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\nTHE DOORS (Case No. 252): A man is driving and sees three doors — one golden, one silver, and one diamond. Which door does he open first?
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Feeling smart? Challenge a friend.
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\nLast week's answer: Clove to graph. Find last week's clue here. 
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\nCongrats to Amy D. S., who will receive Spotlight PA swag. Others who answered correctly: Catharine R., Annette I., Beth T., Norman S., Harriet Z., Joe D., Frederick H., Suzie M., Joan C., Michael H., Edward F., Alan B., Ted W., Michelle T., Karen B., Judith A., Peter S., Marisa B., Lynda G., Kevin M., Jeffrey F., Tim K., Sheryl W., Karen W., Phil C., David M., Mary B., Pat S., Lauren B.-K., Leann T., Trish B., and Cosette J.
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\n \n" +slug = "pennsylvania-house-senate-primary-2024-winners" +suppress-date = false +title = "In most of PA, the primary picks the winner" +title-tag = "When primary elections are winner-takes-all" ++++ + + From fcf2ffcb5a2c2b5874d328c631bdb683c6e67b9c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Baxter Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:29:18 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 19/22] Setting site parameters --- config/_default/params.json | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/config/_default/params.json b/config/_default/params.json index 350f68251d..3fc42e0b76 100644 --- a/config/_default/params.json +++ b/config/_default/params.json @@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ "topper-bg-color": "#ffffff", "topper-desktop-height": 225, "topper-desktop-images": [ - "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k2/7g2j/spring-campaign-topper-tracker-32-.svg" + "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k2/cx1c/spring-campaign-topper-tracker.png" ], "topper-desktop-width": 1350, "topper-divider-color": "#004590", From 0ac9381332d16955f5954dee3bce8fccb3d5cab2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Baxter Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:36:23 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 20/22] Setting site parameters --- config/_default/params.json | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/config/_default/params.json b/config/_default/params.json index 3fc42e0b76..354bb1c5b1 100644 --- a/config/_default/params.json +++ b/config/_default/params.json @@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ "topper-link": "/donate/", "topper-mobile-height": 512, "topper-mobile-images": [ - "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k2/7g2k/spring-campaign-2023-rectangles-19-.svg" + "https://files.data.spotlightpa.org/uploads/01k2/cxek/spring-campaign-2023-rectangles-24-.png" ], "topper-mobile-width": 1024 } \ No newline at end of file From d4a6ea0526eeeca43b4cf3573f7595fe87f7a9b6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Colin Deppen Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:58:04 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 21/22] Content: publishing "PALOCAL-04-19-24" --- .../newsletters/palocal/2024-04-19-1000-6d.md | 23 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 23 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/newsletters/palocal/2024-04-19-1000-6d.md diff --git a/content/newsletters/palocal/2024-04-19-1000-6d.md b/content/newsletters/palocal/2024-04-19-1000-6d.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..552e267c94 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/newsletters/palocal/2024-04-19-1000-6d.md @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ ++++ +blurb = "Plus, chief ice cream officer reporting for duty." +description = "\"Mason the Guardrail Kid” posts each day to raise awareness about dangerous guardrails on his crusade to get them fixed. He has 16,000 followers and a list of results to show for it." +draft = false +image = "2024/04/01k2-cy7h-ff1e-3mzp.jpeg" +image-credit = "Photo submitted" +image-description = "Mason the Guardrail Kid making a TikTok." +image-gravity = "ea" +internal-id = "PALOCAL-04-19-24" +kicker = "PA Local" +layout = "mailchimp-page" +modal-exclude = false +no-index = false +pinned = false +published = 2024-04-19T10:00:00-04:00 +raw-content = " \n \n \n Plus, chief ice cream officer reporting for duty.\n \n
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April 19, 2024
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\nInside this edition: Philly's next pro sports team?, Pittsburgh festival lineup, ice cream officer, and 'Mason the Guardrail Kid.' Thanks for checking in.
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Wawa celebrated its 60th anniversary this week. In which Pennsylvania county did Wawa open its first store in 1964?
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A. Bucks County
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B. Dauphin County 
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C. Delaware County
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D. Berks County 
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\n(Keep scrolling for the answer, but don't miss all the good stuff in between. Like what you read? Forward this email to a friend.)
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\n \n » One story worth following: Philadelphia is on a list of possible WNBA expansion cities. But what about the feasibility and possible team names? WHYY discusses at the 13:30-minute mark here.
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\n» One lineup worth seeing: Pittsburgh’s newest music festival, Sudden Little Thrills, announced its lineup this week. SZA and The Killers are headlining. Wiz Khalifa and other hometown acts are on the bill.
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\n» One job worth taking: The American Dairy Association is hiring an honorary chief ice cream officer to travel around Pennsylvania, taste ice cream, and post about it on social media, CBS3 reports.
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\n» One show worth catching: Virtually explore Fallingwater architect Frank Lloyd Wright's "unrealized" Pennsylvania projects, spanning the 1930s through the 1950s, at this museum exhibit in Washington D.C.
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\n» One place worth knowing: Sam Nana-Sinkam left a job at Google to buy a chestnut farm near Reading. Fast Company calls his plan for it a "radical" experiment that envisions farms as a new kind of "third place."
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\n 🗞️ THINK YOU'RE PRETTY SMART? Prove it with this week's PA News Quiz: 2024 primary questions, January 6 charges, and Biden tariffs.\n
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\n \n » Who has fundraising edge in state AG race?
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\n» The milk company snub shaping Shapiro's budget
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\n» The truth about mail ballots in Pennsylvania
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\n» Primary voters will decide most legislative races
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\n» What Penn State's misconduct data reveal
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\n🗳️ Election Essentials
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\n» CANDIDATE QUIZ: Find the best AG candidate for you
\n» Find key dates and answers to voter FAQs here
\n» Guides to state attorney general, auditor general, treasurer
\n» Guias de fiscal general del estado, auditor general y tesorero
\n» Races to watch: state House, state Senate
\n» Elections 101: poll watchers, pollbooks, voting machines, mail ballots
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\n \n Mason the Guardrail Kid making a TikTok. (Photo submitted)\n
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You’re scrolling through TikTok when you come across a video showing a guardrail you drive past on your way home. A tiny-voiced narrator is astutely pointing out several flaws you likely never spotted before. Curiosity piqued, you click the profile. You find more dissections of Pennsylvania guardrails, lots of them. Then you notice the follower count. 
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\nThe person behind the clips is an 11-year-old from Lancaster County named Mason Jones, aka “Mason the Guardrail Kid” to his 16,000-plus followers. He posts a video every day raising awareness about damaged guardrails — sometimes called guiderails — around the area and country, and his impromptu infrastructure inspections have led to real action by transportation officials.
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\n“It does feel pretty nice and good,” Mason told PA Local about the impact. 
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\nFans adore him and his videos, which spotlight loose cables and bolts, incorrectly installed rails, or missing struts. There is sometimes pointed criticism of PennDOT alongside warnings like: “This rail will NOT Keep you from going into the creek.”
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\nIn other videos, he’s sharing photos of the solar eclipse, dog-sitting, or discussing the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. 
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\nMason, who says drivers risk being hurt by faulty guardrails, reports any violations he finds to the appropriate officials. He conducts his inspections “pretty often.”
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\nPennDOT says reports from Mason, submitted through the agency's Customer Care Center, have led to the replacement of a crash-damaged guardrail on Route 272 in Lancaster, the replacement of guardrail bolts on Kirks Mill Road in Chester County, and more.
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\nPennDOT says with "nearly 40,000 miles of roadway and over 25,400 bridges" in its purview, the public is encouraged to report issues.
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\n“Just about every day he is doing something guardrail related,” Mason's mother, Christine Miller, said. “We drive around our house and he will have me stop at certain guardrails. He also uses Google Maps and searches all over the United States.”
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\nMason’s niche interest stemmed from watching another creator who has been a longtime advocate for roadside safety. He found Steve “the Guardrail Guy” Eimers on YouTube last May and was instantly hooked. He took the time to learn more about guardrails, how they function, and how to crash test them. 
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\nEimers, who resides in Knoxville, Tennessee, began campaigning for guardrail safety after his daughter, Hannah, was killed in a 2016 crash when a guardrail speared her car. 
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\n“Since Hannah’s crash, I have done a lot more stories. I just go out and find problems, and I highlight them. I tie them to a death or catastrophic injury and pressure the state to inventory their guardrails and fix all the problems,” Eimers told PA Local.
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\nHis work has connected with viewers, racking up over 100 million views across TikTok and YouTube, including from Mason who views Eimers as a mentor. 
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\nMiller said she asked Eimers to send her son a video shoutout for his 11th birthday, and the two have been friends ever since. They were able to meet eight months later at a Transportation Research Board event in Washington, D.C. Mason was the youngest member of the press on hand.
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\n“It was pretty nice being there,” he recalled. 
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\nEimers is thrilled to see his work inspiring others.
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\n“I just started posting some videos on YouTube and all of a sudden people watched them and found a purpose,” he explained. “During my early advocacy, I was a lone ranger. It feels good that I taught people who are teaching other people how to get engaged and find their voice.”
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\nMason aspires to turn his interest into a career as a guardrail inspector and installer. His mother "couldn't be more proud of him."
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\n“Nobody even thinks about guardrails," she said. "I myself have learned so much from Mason. You just see it on the side of the road and don't think much of it. You listen to Mason and see how important they are.”
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\n—Tanisha Thomas, newsletter writer / reporter

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"What is this??? A statue for ants?"
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\n—@nba_paint on X using a 'Zoolander' reference to mock a statue of Sixers legend Allen Iverson in Camden; the internet agreed: It’s kind of small.

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\n \n Looking toward Blue Mountain from the Appalachian Trail in Cumberland County, via Robert S. Have a photo to share? Send it to us by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag @spotlightpennsylvania.\n
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The answer is "C. Delaware County." Wawa opened its first store in Folsom, Delaware County on April 16, 1964.
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\nWawa celebrated its birthday in Harrisburg this week, announcing 40 new midstate stores. President Joe Biden made a Wawa visit in Philly on Thursday, a day after he was seen eating Fryz with the enemy. 
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\nThanks for reading. We'll see you back here next week.

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\n \n" +slug = "mason-the-guardrail-kid-pennsylvania-tiktok-infrastructure" +suppress-date = false +title = "The child star of 'PA guardrail TikTok'" +title-tag = "The child star of 'PA guardrail TikTok'" ++++ + + From 0a0563360ad5af5909b316375a297577ab6a8de6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Colin Deppen Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:05:22 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 22/22] Content: publishing "PAPOST-04-22-24" --- .../newsletters/papost/2024-04-22-0700-71.md | 22 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 22 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/newsletters/papost/2024-04-22-0700-71.md diff --git a/content/newsletters/papost/2024-04-22-0700-71.md b/content/newsletters/papost/2024-04-22-0700-71.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..5d9b08ba0f --- /dev/null +++ b/content/newsletters/papost/2024-04-22-0700-71.md @@ -0,0 +1,22 @@ ++++ +blurb = "Plus, John Fetterman's Republican donors." +description = "Northampton County had incomplete and inconsistent testing documentation for the voting machines involved in last year's Election Day snafu." +draft = false +image = "2024/04/01k2-2vwf-kweb-vcr0.jpeg" +image-credit = "Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA" +image-description = "Northampton County voters head to the polls on Nov. 7, 2023, at the Forks Township Community Center." +internal-id = "PAPOST-04-22-24" +kicker = "PA Post" +layout = "mailchimp-page" +modal-exclude = false +no-index = false +pinned = false +published = 2024-04-22T07:00:00-04:00 +raw-content = " \n \n \n Plus, John Fetterman's Republican donors.\n \n
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Your Postmaster: Tanisha Thomas
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\nMonday, April 22, 2024
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\n \n Today: Missing records, SCOTUS case, ballot suit, Ukraine votes, different donors, and a big Post-Gazette strike update. Passover starts tonight.\n
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\n \n SLOPPY RECORDS\n
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An investigation by Spotlight PA and Votebeat found Northampton County had incomplete and inconsistent testing documentation for the voting machines involved in last year's Election Day snafu there.
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The lapses do not point to any malfunction or malfeasance, and the Spotlight PA and Votebeat review did not find any. But the episode raises questions about how faithfully counties around the state are following requirements for testing their machines and documenting what they’re doing.
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A programming error caused votes on two Pennsylvania Superior Court retention questions to be improperly printed on Northampton County voters’ paper ballots last November. Officials said the correct selections were recorded on the machines. Pre-election testing should have caught the issue, but the testing was incomplete, a county spokesperson said.
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\nRead the full report: Missing voting machine documents raise concern about Pa. county’s testing processes.
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\n \n NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
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\n“We are not against growth or jobs but this chemical recycling plant would have cost recreation jobs, polluted our river and air, and changed the character of our area forever, inviting more projects like it to come to the Susquehanna Valley.”\n\n
 
\n—Sandy Field, a member of Save Our Susquehanna (SOS), reacting to Encina's decision to no longer pursue a contested plastics recycling plant in Northumberland County on the banks of the Susquehanna River\n
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\n \n 🗳️ ELECTION ESSENTIALS\n
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\n \n 📷 POST IT\n
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\n \n The 1714 Barns-Brinton House in Chester County, via Don N. Send us your photos by email, use #PAGems on IG, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. \n
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\n \n DAILY RUNDOWN\n
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CLOSE EYE: A U.S. Supreme Court case set for oral arguments today could affect how Pennsylvania communities use law enforcement to address issues around homelessness, WHYY reports. That includes places like Pottstown, which was sued over plans to remove a homeless encampment, and Philadelphia. The case could make encampment clearings easier, even when no other shelter exists. 
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BALLOT LAWSUIT: Chester County Republicans have filed a lawsuit that aims to prevent the county's election board from tallying ballots if they were returned by a single agent for multiple residents in a long-term care facility — "potentially invalidating those ballots before the state’s primary election," The Inquirer (paywall) reports. A hearing in the case is set for this morning, on the eve of tomorrow's primary.
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LUKEWARM STANCE: U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R., Pa.) was the only Republican to vote "present" on a Ukraine aid bill that passed the U.S. House over the weekend, NOTUS reports. Meuser, whose district has one of the highest concentrations of people of Ukrainian descent in the country, and who is of Ukrainian descent himself, said the world should be doing more. U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., Pa.) voted "no" on the bill.
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  • These 37 House Democrats and 21 Republicans voted against Israel aid over the weekend, via Business Insider.
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SHIFTING SIDES: U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) has received a growing number of GOP donors as he continues his unwavering support of Israel. The Intercept found at least 14 registered Republicans have donated to Fetterman’s campaign since the Oct. 7 attacks, signifying a shift in public perception. Several Fetterman donors have also contributed to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
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DIFFERENT STORY: GOP U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick has talked about growing up on his family's farm in rural Bloomsburg, but The New York Times (paywall) found holes in his "started with nothing" narrative. The paper says McCormick's father was president of what is now Bloomsburg University and McCormick largely grew up in what students called the president’s mansion. McCormick responded.
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\n 🗞️ THINK YOU'RE PRETTY SMART? Prove it with the latest PA News Quiz: 2024 primary questions, January 6 charges, and Biden tariffs.\n
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\n \n IN OTHER NEWS\n
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LABOR LAW: The National Labor Relations Board will seek a temporary injunction against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for allegedly violating its workers’ rights, TribLIVE reports. Union representatives said the move could put an end to the 19-month strike there.
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MINI-QUAKE: A few people reported feeling the 2.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Berks County on Friday. The quake was weaker than the 4.8 one that hit the East Coast earlier this month. 
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WALK BACK: The Cumberland Valley school board will hold a special meeting Wednesday to reconsider its widely criticized cancellation of a 30 Rock actor’s middle school visit, PennLive (paywall) reports. 
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TAYLOR TIES: A Bucks County band announced it's releasing its first album in 17 years after being name-dropped on Taylor Swift’s new double-album on the song "The Black Dog," the Inquirer (paywall) reports.
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TREAT TRIP: You can get paid $5,000 for doing an ice cream road trip highlighting creameries around Pennsylvania. The American Dairy Association is hiring its first-ever Chief Ice Cream Officer. 
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 NEW LOW PRICE! 
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\n'Now Serving the Truth' kitchen aprons!
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\nDon't go another meal without letting people know you're serving the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. SHOP THE SALE NOW >
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\n \n SCRAMBLER\n
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Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag. Answers submitted by 5:30 p.m. on issue date will be counted.
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I R L N Y E G G
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\nFriday's answer: Scornful
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\n \n" +slug = "northampton-county-pennsylvania-voting-machine-testing-lapses" +suppress-date = false +title = "Lapses found in county's voting machine testing" +title-tag = "Lapses found in PA county's voting machine testing" ++++ + +