July 31, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesWhy Trump’s ‘fake electors’ in Pennsylvania are likely to avoid prosecutionby Carter Walker of VotebeatIn seven states, Trump allies sent electoral votes for him to Congress despite his loss. Some are facing investigations and criminal charges, but the saga has a twist in the Keystone State.
July 28, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAHow Pa. counties spent the first-ever election grants from the stateby Carter Walker of VotebeatAct 88 poured $45 million into shoring up counties’ election needs, with a few strings attached. Now some officials are designing their budgets based on another round.
June 27, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPhiladelphia’s communities of color disproportionately affected when mail ballots are rejected over small errorsby Carter Walker of Votebeat and Laura Benshoff for VotebeatData shows that communities of color and older Philadelphians are more likely to have their mail ballot rejected due to simple mistakes.
June 27, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesTrump target Al Schmidt gets crucial approval as he moves closer to becoming Pa.’s top election officialby Carter Walker of VotebeatThe former Philadelphia city commissioner’s hearings featured contentious questions on voter roll accuracy from committee Republicans.
June 16, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAInexperience and staff turnover led to Luzerne County’s 2022 election debacle, investigation findsby Carter Walker for VotebeatA long awaited report from the county district attorney found that high turnover and loss of institutional knowledge were primary causes of a ballot paper shortage in last year’s midterm elections.
June 8, 2023CHARLES FOX / Philadelphia InquirerThis Pa. county rejected voters’ flawed mail ballots. Then it refused to count their in-person votes.by Carter Walker of VotebeatThe ACLU is suing Delaware County, arguing that the Board of Elections misread state law and disenfranchised eligible voters in the May primary.
May 26, 2023Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA18 Pa. candidates who spread election misinformation are poised to oversee local voting in 2024by Carter Walker of VotebeatIn three Pennsylvania counties, election skeptics will likely hold majorities on key county panels that set voting rules after the November 2023 general election.
May 18, 2023Carter Walker / VotebeatHow one northeast Pennsylvania county runs drama-free elections with just 2 people on staffby Carter Walker of VotebeatColumbia County election officials say cross-department teamwork makes their count possible, and they think transparency lets them avoid the trust issues other conservative counties are dealing with.
May 16, 2023Kent M. Wilhelm / For Spotlight PAPa. election results: Carluccio, McCaffery win Supreme Court primary, will advance to November generalby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe candidates who eventually win seats on the state’s three appellate courts will have a major impact on politics and policy in Pennsylvania.
May 16, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAWhen do polls open in Pa.? All the information you need for the 2023 primary election.by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s May 16 primary election features statewide races for Supreme Court and the commonwealth’s other appellate courts, plus a lot of local elections.
May 15, 2023Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAPa. primary election 2023: When to expect results, how vote counting will work, and moreby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAPennsylvania county election officials expect to have results on election night. But the vote counting system remains cumbersome despite new improvements.
May 10, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPa. primary election 2023: How to vote, where to vote, and everything you need to know for May 16by Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAFind out where to vote, how to make sure your ballot is counted, and what you should know about all the people running.
May 9, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PACandidates running for key Pa. election posts wrongly believe 2020 presidential race was stolenby Carter Walker of VotebeatVotebeat and Spotlight PA looked into more than 400 county commissioner and council candidates to see which ones have alleged fraud or expressed doubts about election security. Here’s what we found.
May 3, 2023Tyger Williams / Philadelphia InquirerParty affiliation can be misleading in local Pa. elections. Here’s why.by Kate HuangpuThere's a long history of school board candidates cross-filing, or running in both parties, in Pennsylvania. But as races get more partisan, some lawmakers want to change that.
April 27, 2023Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAElecciones primarias Pa. 2023: Todo lo que necesita saber para solicitar, llenar y devolver su papeleta de voto por correoby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PASi quiere votar por correo en las elecciones primarias de Pensilvania de 2023, debe solicitarlo antes de las 5 de la tarde del 9 de mayo.
April 25, 2023Alejandro A. Alvarez / Philadelphia InquirerBill allowing counties to process mail ballots early clears first hurdle in Pa. Houseby Carter Walker of VotebeatLegislation giving election officials a week to “pre-canvass” ballots would speed up results, but other provisions could make it unpalatable to Senate Republicans.
April 19, 2023Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAEverything you need to know about requesting, filling out, and returning your mail ballotby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAIf you want to vote by mail in Pennsylvania’s 2023 primary election, you must apply by 5 p.m. May 9.
April 13, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAA basic guide to vetting candidates for school board, judge, and moreby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PALocal candidates with a lot of direct power over Pennsylvanians’ daily lives will appear on the May 16 primary ballot. Here are some tips to learn more about them.
April 12, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAA complete guide to Pa. primary Election Day 2023, including who is on the ballot, when to vote, how to vote, where to vote, casting mail ballots, and moreby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PADemocrats and Republicans will consider a number of races during Pennsylvania’s primary election on May 16, while other voters may have contests to consider depending on where they live.
April 10, 2023Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAElecciones primarias Pa. 2023: Una guía completa de los candidatos a la Corte de la Commonwealth y Cortes Superioresby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PADurante las elecciones primarias del 16 de mayo, demócratas y republicanos votarán por los candidatos a ocupar las vacantes de las Cortes Superiores y de la Commonwealth de Pensilvania. Los ganadores se enfrentarán en noviembre.
April 8, 2023Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAPa. primary election 2023: Supreme Court candidates with party backing show fundraising advantageby Kate Huangpu and Stephen CarusoThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court candidates running in the 2023 primary election have raised $365,000 from wealthy donors, their own bank accounts, and in one case, Doug Mastriano.
April 5, 2023Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAWATCH: A free panel on Pa.’s Supreme Court candidates and why the 2023 election mattersby Spotlight PA StaffA panel discusses Pa.’s Supreme Court candidates and why the 2023 election matters.
April 4, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PASupporters hope Pa.’s new legislature will embrace open primaries, but at least one big hurdle remainsby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAPennsylvania excludes over a million voters from participating in its partisan primaries, something advocates hope could change this year.
March 31, 2023Deborah Kunselman, Daniel McCaffery, Carolyn Carluccio photos via candidate Facebook pages; Patricia McCullough photo via 2021 campaign website.Elecciones primarias Pa. 2023: Guía completa de los candidatos a la Corte Suprema del Estadoby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PADurante las elecciones primarias del 16 de mayo, demócratas y republicanos votarán por los candidatos para ocupar un puesto en la Corte Suprema de Pensilvania.
March 29, 2023Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAPa. primary election 2023: A complete guide to the candidates for Commonwealth and Superior Courtsby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PADuring the May 16 primary election, Democrats and Republicans will vote for candidates to fill open seats on Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth and Superior Courts. The winners will face off in November.
March 28, 2023Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania court decision does little to clear up confusion over fixing mail ballotsby Carter Walker of VotebeatPennsylvania counties will still be able to decide whether to allow voters to fix flawed mail ballots, but election directors are worried about more lawsuits.
March 28, 2023Daniel Fishel / Spotlight PAHow Spotlight PA will cover Pennsylvania’s 2023 primary electionby Christopher Baxter of Spotlight PA and Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PARaces for Pennsylvania Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth courts as well as many other judicial and municipal contests will be on your ballot this year.
March 21, 2023Deborah Kunselman, Daniel McCaffery, Carolyn Carluccio photos via candidate Facebook pages; Patricia McCullough photo via 2021 campaign website.Pa. primary election 2023: A complete guide to the candidates for state Supreme Courtby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PADuring the May 16 primary election, Democrats and Republicans will vote for candidates to fill an open seat on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. The winners will face off in November.
March 9, 2023Courtesy Pennsylvania Capital-StarKey Pa. senator’s record has Democrats, voting advocates worried passing election reform will be difficultby Carter Walker of VotebeatCris Dush, who chairs the state Senate committee that considers voting bills, rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election and led Republicans’ investigation attempt.
Feb. 28, 2023Kent M. Wilhelm / For Spotlight PAPa. judges offer conflicting opinions on whether fraud evidence is needed for recount requestsby Carter Walker of VotebeatRecount petitions have become an increasingly common tool for those seeking to question results, leading to delays in certification and fresh doubts about the integrity of the elections.
Spotlight PA Live Event: How we found the Secret Service flaws that led to the Trump rally shootingAttendNov 21
