In Pennsylvania, incorrect Spanish-language instructions for when to vote were sent out to 17,000 prospective voters in Berks County ahead of Tuesday’s key municipal elections in the state.
First reported by local news outlet The Reading Eagle, the county has since admitted to the error discovered on Oct. 20 and acknowledged that on 17,000 sets of instructions for mail-in ballots it sent out, the deadline listed for ballot returns—Nov. 18—was two full weeks after the correct Election Day deadline of Tuesday, Nov. 2.
The correct date was, however, listed in the English portion of the bilingual voting instructions.
According to NBC News, organizers with the voting advocacy group, Make the Road Pennsylvania were busy trying to correct the record by texting, calling, and knocking on doors to ensure that Spanish-speaking voters have accurate information about how to cast their ballots.
A representative for Make the Road Pennsylvania did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday but Patty Torres, an organizing director for the organization, has called publicly for the county to accept any mail-in ballots that come in after Nov. 2 but before the inaccurately listed date of Nov. 18.
Berks County election board commissioner Christian Leinbach reportedly said during a commissioner’s meeting last week that the body did not have the ability, legally, to accept ballots received after Nov. 2.
“This is driven by the state law—we do not have the ability to adjust or change that deadline,” Leinbach said.
The Pennsylvania Department of State confirmed this last week, saying it would be unable to extend the deadline of its own volition. Only a court order could achieve that request.
Leinbach has also told reporters an investigation is underway, but the commissioners believe the error was made because a template from the May 18 primary in the state was used.
Local radio stations broadcasted an hourly public service announcement in Spanish and one election official, Michael Rivera, told local news stations he joined the Daniel Torres Hispanic Center in Reading, Pennsylvania to get the word out on social media. Rivera also alerted the Latino Affairs Caucus in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
In addition to this error, Berks County officials also recently copped to a mistake found by a shrewd poll worker. This time, an error appeared in a letter sent out on Oct. 28 to some 800 poll workers.
Like the foul-up on the Spanish language instructions, this message too featured the wrong date for the election—twice.
County officials said the wrong date of Nov. 3 was left in place on the letter because it was the same template used during the last round of elections in 2020.
“The county has determined that the letter was not properly proofread before being sent out,” a statement by Berks County officials said last week.
Officials also said they contacted the judge of elections for each of the county’s 202 precincts with instructions on how to contact poll working staff to confirm the correct date.
The letter itself was intended to inform poll works that because of multiple vacancies, the election board would appoint positions for this year’s election.
In Pennsylvania, municipal elections are underway for mayoral races, as well as school boards and local councils. One of the seats on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court is also open and is being vied for by Democrat Marie McLaughlin and Republican Kevin Brobson.
First reported by local news outlet The Reading Eagle, the county has since admitted to the error discovered on Oct. 20 and acknowledged that on 17,000 sets of instructions for mail-in ballots it sent out, the deadline listed for ballot returns—Nov. 18—was two full weeks after the correct Election Day deadline of Tuesday, Nov. 2.
The correct date was, however, listed in the English portion of the bilingual voting instructions.
According to NBC News, organizers with the voting advocacy group, Make the Road Pennsylvania were busy trying to correct the record by texting, calling, and knocking on doors to ensure that Spanish-speaking voters have accurate information about how to cast their ballots.
A representative for Make the Road Pennsylvania did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday but Patty Torres, an organizing director for the organization, has called publicly for the county to accept any mail-in ballots that come in after Nov. 2 but before the inaccurately listed date of Nov. 18.
Berks County election board commissioner Christian Leinbach reportedly said during a commissioner’s meeting last week that the body did not have the ability, legally, to accept ballots received after Nov. 2.
“This is driven by the state law—we do not have the ability to adjust or change that deadline,” Leinbach said.
The Pennsylvania Department of State confirmed this last week, saying it would be unable to extend the deadline of its own volition. Only a court order could achieve that request.
Leinbach has also told reporters an investigation is underway, but the commissioners believe the error was made because a template from the May 18 primary in the state was used.
Local radio stations broadcasted an hourly public service announcement in Spanish and one election official, Michael Rivera, told local news stations he joined the Daniel Torres Hispanic Center in Reading, Pennsylvania to get the word out on social media. Rivera also alerted the Latino Affairs Caucus in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
In addition to this error, Berks County officials also recently copped to a mistake found by a shrewd poll worker. This time, an error appeared in a letter sent out on Oct. 28 to some 800 poll workers.
Like the foul-up on the Spanish language instructions, this message too featured the wrong date for the election—twice.
County officials said the wrong date of Nov. 3 was left in place on the letter because it was the same template used during the last round of elections in 2020.
“The county has determined that the letter was not properly proofread before being sent out,” a statement by Berks County officials said last week.
Officials also said they contacted the judge of elections for each of the county’s 202 precincts with instructions on how to contact poll working staff to confirm the correct date.
The letter itself was intended to inform poll works that because of multiple vacancies, the election board would appoint positions for this year’s election.
In Pennsylvania, municipal elections are underway for mayoral races, as well as school boards and local councils. One of the seats on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court is also open and is being vied for by Democrat Marie McLaughlin and Republican Kevin Brobson.