Pennsylvania Officials Refute Viral Allegations Regarding Illegal Voters

Authorities in the American state of Pennsylvania have dismissed assertions alleging that “illegal voters” were permitted to request ballots and cast votes at an election facility situated in Allegheny County. A statement was issued by officials following the widespread circulation of posts on X, which purported to depict “illegal voters” being directed past American citizens who were queuing. The footage displays a line outside a satellite election office in Allegheny County—the state’s second most populous county—and a distinct, smaller contingent that seemingly bypasses the extensive queue to converse with an individual positioned near the election center’s entry. Officials from Allegheny County informed the BBC that the individuals in question were present to submit applications for mail-in ballots, and these officials reaffirmed that voter registration is exclusively open to US citizens. BBC Verify has gathered that certain individuals within the group featured in the widely shared video are US citizens of Nepalese and Bhutanese descent. The BBC has not independently confirmed this information. Widely circulated posts on X asserted that buses transporting “non-citizens” had been arranged for them to unlawfully cast votes. Additionally, some claims suggested they were wearing stickers endorsing the Harris-Walz campaign, though these are not discernible in the video. The video has garnered millions of views on X and has been disseminated by right-wing influencers, some of whom promote conspiracy theories. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and proprietor of X, responded to a post featuring the video by asking: “Is this real?” Voting in federal elections by individuals who are not US citizens is prohibited by law, and research indicates that instances of this occurring are exceedingly uncommon. Online, some speculated that the group had not only voted unlawfully but had also bypassed the queue to do so. However, county officials informed BBC Verify that certain members of the group “needed the assistance of translators”. According to officials, the events captured in the widely shared video constituted a brief exchange among voters, their translators, and a county employee, which was subsequently disseminated online by right-wing influencers. Officials stated, “The County employee provided instructions that elderly and disabled people were allowed to sit while they waited for their applications to process,” further noting that this policy applies to any elderly or disabled voter at any polling location. In reference to the viral video, they explained, “the able-bodied voters returned to the back of the line, elderly and disabled voters were permitted to sit and wait their turn, and those who needed the assistance of a translator were able to use their translator to help them through the process”. An additional video, circulated in conjunction with this one, features a man asserting he was present at the voting location during the incident and witnessed it occur. This video has not been independently verified. Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, commented that “spreading videos and other information that lack context and sharing social posts with half-truths and even outright lies is harmful to our representative democracy”. Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, has frequently been targeted by assertions from right-wing influencers who challenge the electoral process’s integrity. What would you like BBC Verify to investigate? Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.