Carter Walker

Stories by Carter Walker

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt stands for a portrait in a Department of State conference room at the Capitol in Harrisburg.

Facing Trump threats, Al Schmidt defended Pa.’s 2020 election as free, fair, and secure. He believes the same about 2024.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Dec. 20, 2024

People wait in line to vote Nov. 5, 2024, at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

Pa. certifies 2024 election results as Trump electors prepare to meet in Harrisburg

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Dec. 4, 2024

“Vote Here” signs at Temple Sinai in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA, on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.

Investigations across Pa. into suspicious voter registration forms yield no charges yet

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 25, 2024

Bob Casey (left) and Dave McCormick

Pennsylvania calls off recount in U.S. Senate race after Casey concedes to McCormick

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 22, 2024

Campaign signs are displayed along Hellertown Road in Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

The latest on the Casey-McCormick U.S. Senate recount

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 21, 2024

Lehigh County voter registration workers sort mail ballots Nov. 5, 2024, in Allentown, PA.

High court tells Pa. counties not to accept undated mail ballots for November election

by Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PA and Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 18, 2024

Lehigh County voter registration workers sort mail ballots Nov. 5, 2024, at Lehigh County Government Center.

New court fight erupts over Pennsylvania’s ballot dating requirement ahead of key recount

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 15, 2024

Dave McCormick, left, and Bob Casey, right.

Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race is getting a recount. Here’s how it will work.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 13, 2024

A voting sign is displayed Nov. 5, 2024, at Sheridan Elementary School in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

Elections 101: Voting is over. Audits, certification, and possible recounts are next.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 13, 2024

Lehigh County voter registration workers sort mail ballots Nov. 5, 2024.

Efforts to challenge Pennsylvania voters’ mail ballot applications fizzle

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 8, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on Nov. 5, 2024, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Experience, better tech helped Pa. count mail ballots faster this year than in 2020

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 8, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Uncertainty is inevitable on Election Day. Here’s how to navigate it.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 4, 2024

Voter registration workers sort mail ballots Nov. 7, 2023, at Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown, PA.

New challenges to Pa. voters’ mail ballot applications target overseas voters

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 4, 2024

A voting location sign is displayed outside Allentown Public Library in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

Suspicious voter registration forms in Pennsylvania linked to Arizona city councilman’s company

by Jen Fifield and Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 1, 2024

Philadelphia City Hall

Decision on undated mail ballots gives Pa. Supreme Court another chance to take up issue before Nov. 5

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Oct. 30, 2024

Mail ballots are sorted and counted by workers on Election Day in Northampton County.

Group seeks to block mail ballots for 100s of Pennsylvania voters based on flimsy USPS records

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Oct. 30, 2024

A ballot drop box is shown on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Voters deserve second chance if mail ballots are rejected, Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Oct. 23, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

These Pennsylvania counties give voters a chance to fix errors on their mail ballots (MAP)

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Oct. 23, 2024

City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia aims to speed up mail ballot processing on Election Day with newer equipment

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Oct. 16, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

It’s too close to Election Day to consider changing mail ballot rules, Pennsylvania Supreme Court says

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Oct. 7, 2024

Northampton County, PA voters head to the polls on Nov. 7, 2023, at the Forks Township Community Center.

Pennsylvanians have the most trust in local election results, poll shows

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Oct. 4, 2024

Workers sort mail-in ballots Nov. 7, 2023, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

Voting rights groups want Pa. Supreme Court to decide whether voters need to date mail ballots

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Sept. 25, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Ruling could influence how Pa. counties handle mail ballots with disqualifying errors this November

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Sept. 24, 2024

Northampton County voters head to the polls on Nov. 7, 2023, at the Forks Township Community Center.

Democrats in Pa. approach 2024 election with slimmest voter registration advantage in decades

by Katie Meyer of Spotlight PA and Carter Walker of Votebeat

Sept. 18, 2024

A mail ballot drop box is displayed Nov. 7, 2023, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

High court voids ruling on mail ballots missing handwritten dates

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Sept. 13, 2024

A voting location sign is seen on primary Election Day 2024 at Bethlehem City Hall in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

No, ‘early voting’ does not start in Pennsylvania on Sept. 16

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Sept. 13, 2024

Voters stand in line at Belle Valley Fire Department in Erie County waiting to vote in person on Nov. 3, 2020.

Errors undermine tool designed to help Pennsylvanians find their election polling places

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Sept. 12, 2024

Philadelphia City Hall

Donald Trump insists ‘bad things happen in Philadelphia.’ Here’s the real history.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Sept. 9, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

County was wrong to reject provisional ballots from voters who made mail ballot errors, Pa. court says

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Sept. 6, 2024

A mail-in ballot drop box is displayed Nov. 7, 2023, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

A court just told Pa. not to reject mail ballots missing handwritten dates. The case isn't over yet.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Aug. 30, 2024

Mail-in ballots are sorted and counted by workers on Election Day in Northampton County.

These three court cases could determine how Pennsylvania handles mail ballots this fall

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Aug. 29, 2024

An elector for President Joe Biden fills out their ballot in Harrisburg in December 2020.

Some of Trump's 'fake' Pennsylvania electors from 2020 are back again

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Aug. 16, 2024

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt in January 2024 at the East Shore Area Library in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Elections 101: Department of State guidance was a 2020 lightning rod. This is how it works.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Aug. 8, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Handwritten dates on mail ballots don’t serve meaningful purpose, attorneys tell Commonwealth Court

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Aug. 2, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

How 9 mistakenly discarded ballots in Luzerne County, Pa., fueled Trump’s 2020 lies about elections

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

July 29, 2024

A Pennsylvania mail ballot for the 2024 primary election.

Mail ballot envelopes will now be printed with the full year filled out

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

July 18, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

To certify election results on time, Pa. looks to set new deadlines for legal challenges

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

July 10, 2024

Workers sort mail-in ballots Nov. 7, 2023, at Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

Right-wing group sues over errors in Pennsylvania voter registration records

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Carter Walker of Votebeat

June 21, 2024

A poll worker holds voting stickers for community members Nov. 7, 2023, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Elections 101: Everything you need to know about election recounts in Pennsylvania

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

June 13, 2024

A Pennsylvania mail ballot for the 2024 primary election.

Redesigned envelope leads to fewer rejected mail ballots, but a new type of error sticks out

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

May 31, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Why a state challenge to Pa.’s mail ballot dating rule may succeed even though a federal one failed

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

May 29, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on primary Election Day 2024 at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Lawsuit, records requests signal ACLU effort to target ‘notice and cure’ policies for flawed mail ballots

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

May 16, 2024

The dome of the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania state House advances bill to give counties more time to count mail ballots

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

May 2, 2024

Snyder County Election Director Devin Rhoads reviews the results of a precinct’s return as election worker Stacy Guyer collects election materials.

Snyder County’s new election director survived Pa.’s 2024 primary. The big test comes in November.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

April 29, 2024

A Pennsylvania mail ballot for the 2024 primary election.

Some voters are failing to complete the year on Pa.’s newly redesigned mail ballot envelopes

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

April 23, 2024

Northampton County voters go to the polls in Nov. 2023 at the Forks Township Community Center.

Missing voting machine documents raise concern about Pa. county’s testing processes

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

April 18, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on Nov. 7, 2023, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Elections 101: How Pa. secures mail ballots, prevents fraud, and more

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

April 15, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots on Nov. 7, 2023, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Voting rights groups appeal ruling that directs Pa. to reject undated mail ballots

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

April 10, 2024

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt in January 2024 at the East Shore Area Library in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Pa.’s top election official answers your questions about misinformation, voting machines, and more

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

April 9, 2024

Lehigh County voter registration workers sort mail ballots on Nov. 7, 2023, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Federal ruling could lead Pa. counties to reject 1000s of undated mail ballots

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

March 28, 2024

Electors filled out their ballots on Dec. 14, 2020, during the 59th Pennsylvania Electoral College meeting in Harrisburg.

Recount petitions could impede Pa.’s efforts to certify 2024 election by new federal deadline

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

March 28, 2024

The Philadelphia City Commissioners at a meeting in early 2024.

Philadelphia voting commission shakeup creates bad optics during big election year

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

March 13, 2024

People participate in the Pennsylvania state House primary ballot lottery at the Keystone Building in Harrisburg.

Ballot order is critical for candidates. In Pa., it’s determined by luck.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Feb. 29, 2024

An election worker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania examines an ExpressVoteXL voting machine during the 2022 primary.

Elections 101: Everything you need to know about Pa.'s voting machines, how the state keeps them safe, and more

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Feb. 27, 2024

A poll worker holds voting stickers at Central Elementary School in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

A deficit of experienced voting officials could mean trouble for Pa.’s 2024 election

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Feb. 21, 2024

An illustration of Heather Honey.

This Pa. activist is the source of false and flawed election claims gaining traction across the country

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Feb. 12, 2024

Workers sort mail ballots at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania on Nov. 7, 2023.

Administrative election errors rise as Pa. counties struggle to keep voting officials

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Dec. 19, 2023

A “vote” sign outside of a polling place.

Shapiro administration cancels $10.7 million contract for Pa. voter roll system upgrade

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Dec. 15, 2023

Workers sort mail ballots on Nov. 7, 2023, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Court ruling on undated ballots brings confusion as Pa. counties certify November election results

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 30, 2023

Lehigh County voter registration worker Ellen Ortt sorts mail ballots on Election Day 2023 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Pa. counties must accept undated, incorrectly dated mail ballots, federal court rules

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Nov. 21, 2023

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