Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and his office's Election Task Force met with members of the press shortly after polls opened on Tuesday to discuss issues the team has seen at polling places as voting got underway in Philadelphia.
So far, as of about 10:30 a.m., a little over three hours after the polls opened in Pa., Krasner said no arrests have been made but several issues have been reported at polling places throughout the city.
And, he said, behavior at polling places seemed "a little bit more aggressive," than in prior years.
"Some behavior, thought it has not yet resulted in an arrest is a little bit more aggressive than what we have seen in the past,” Krasner said, noting that the activity has been tied to the illegal use of recording equipment "in certain contexts."
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When asked to discuss a specific issue that arose, Krasner said that, in one instance, poll workers at a polling location at W.C. Longstreth Elementary School in the city's Kingsessing neighborhood were briefly removed from that location.
Krasner said that, in that incident, two poll workers were asked to leave after they "were insisting to go to the back of voting booths and they claimed it was for the purpose of recording serial numbers on those voting booths."
"Other poll workers were not comfortable with that," said Krasner.
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His office checked into the incident and the poll workers who tried to check for serial numbers were permitted back into the location after their credentials were checked.
Krasner said these individuals were only "briefly" removed from that location.
Also, Assistant District Attorney Brian Collins said that the task force have gotten calls and have responded to some locations after reports of people blocking voters from accessing their polling place.
"Passions are running high, obviously. It's a very contested election," Collins said.
Contacted by the task force, Collins said the individuals involved in these incidents were able to resolve concerns amicably.
Matt Stigler, senior counsel in the DA's Office, said that the task force is also aware that there have been reports of people using hidden cameras to film Philadelphia election workers and voters at polling places. He said that any hidden camera video could violate Pennsylvania's wire tap act and voter interference laws.
The office, he said, is still investigating.
"Philadelphia voters can be confident that they will be able to vote today safely and securely," Stigler said.
Overall, Krasner reinforced his "F around and find out" warning from Monday, Nov. 5, 2024, -- a staffer in his office even created t-shirts with the motto emblazoned on the front.
He said that anyone who worries they may have witnessed any issues of voter fraud or intimidation at polling places should contact the hotline for his office's Election Task Force immediately.
“We want witnesses. We want the truth. We don’t want nonsense," said Krasner.
The district attorney said that his office wants to be able to address any issue right away to avoid unsubstantiated claims of fraud later.
“If it’s there, we want to know about it. We don’t want to hear some kind of crazy fiction later," said Krasner. "If we start to hear about it at about 9 o’clock after the polls are closed, you should be suspicious about it.”
Also, Krasner said his office plans to be available throughout the day and will provide regular updates about issues at polling places as the day unfolds.
How to report issues on Election Day
Voters who encounter any irregularities at their polling location can call the DAO Election Task Force hotline: 215–686–9641. Also, the state has set up a form where voter interference or intimidation on Election Day can be reported here.
Voters are also encouraged to contact the national nonpartisan Election Protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE.
Voters with questions about the election process should contact the Philadelphia City Commissioners’ Office at 215-686-VOTE.
Should voters encounter any violence or physical threats at their polling station, they are urged to call 9-1-1 immediately.
Officials said that the Election Task Force will continue operating until the certification of every vote, including overseas and military ballots.
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