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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Kamala Harris won U.S elections 2024: U.S Attorney General Pam Bondi asked to investigate results
Why is Pam Bondi being asked to investigate the 2024 election? Live Events What's the controversy around Runbeck Election Services? Is there any proof of wrongdoing so far? FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Kamala Harris' election results are currently capturing attention amid claims of discrepancies in Donald Trump's 2024 presidential victory. His victory against Kamala Harris astonished many, particularly in light of his past convictions.A surprising legal challenge to the 2024 election results has also gained momentum after official data revealed that Kamala Harris received zero votes in parts of Rockland County, New dust hasn't settled since the 2024 election. A Republican congressman is now urging US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate alleged ballot mishandling linked to a major election services provider, as per a report by to a news release from his office, Arizona Representative Abe Hamadeh asked for an investigation into how Arizona-based Runbeck Election Services handled ballots in a number of western the 2024 election, in which Republican former President Donald Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, voters and elected officials continue to express concerns about election integrity , prompting Hamadeh to call for a federal are now beginning to doubt that victory due to increased legal pressure. Elon Musk is also accused in a Wisconsin lawsuit of using unethical financial practices to aid Donald Trump in winning crucial battleground states, as per a DOJ has not responded, but concerns about election security and accuracy are once again at the his letter to Bondi, Hamadeh cited what he claimed were reliable reports that returned mail ballots being prepared for tabulation in Runbeck's warehouse were improperly mixed with boxes of printed blank ballots from multiple states. Regarding the unsubstantiated allegations, he gave no information regarding their order to determine whether the security measures in place to prevent such incidents were followed, he asked the DOJ to look into the circumstances surrounding the ballot mixing at the warehouse and the possible impact on the accuracy of election results in Maricopa County, Arizona, and elsewhere, as per a report by response to concerns regarding election integrity, the DOJ has taken steps in recent weeks, including requesting election records from Colorado going back to Director Kash Patel stated on Monday that he has provided lawmakers with documents that purport to describe "alarming" but unverified claims regarding possible Chinese meddling in the 2020 office cited Patel's surrender of records pertaining to a purported scheme for China to manufacture phony driver's licenses in large quantities and export them to the United States for use in phony mail-in concerning situation seriously calls into question the security and integrity of the election process in Maricopa County and possibly beyond, according to Representative Hamadeh."There is a serious risk to the fairness and accuracy of election results when blank and live ballots are mixed together," he underlined how crucial it is to have faith in the fairness of elections and any possible ballot fraud in order to guarantee that the will of the people is fairly yet. She has been asked to look into it, but the Department of Justice has yet to officially company is accused of combining blank and returned ballots during processing. The allegations have not been verified, but a formal investigation has been requested to ensure ballot integrity.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Pam Bondi Asked To Investigate 2024 Election Results
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has been asked by a Republican congressman to investigate "credible claims" that an elections service provider breached protocols during the 2024 election. Representative Abe Hamadeh of Arizona requested an investigation into the handling of ballots by Arizona-based Runbeck Election Services in several western states, according to a news release from his office. Newsweek has contacted the Department of Justice (DOJ) for comment via a contact form on its website as well as Hamadeh's office and Runbeck Election Services via email. Stacks of ballot drop box signs sit in storage at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center ahead of the 2024 Arizona primary and general elections in Phoenix on June 3, 2024. Stacks of ballot drop box signs sit in storage at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center ahead of the 2024 Arizona primary and general elections in Phoenix on June 3, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images Why It Matters Hamadeh's call for a federal investigation comes as election integrity remains a concern for voters and elected officials following the 2024 election, in which Republican former President Donald Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. The DOJ has taken action in recent weeks to address concerns about election integrity, including demanding election records dating to 2020 from Colorado. FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday that he has shared documents with lawmakers that reportedly detail "alarming" though unsubstantiated allegations about potential Chinese interference in the 2020 election. Meanwhile, a legal challenge questioning the accuracy of the 2024 election results in Rockland County, New York, is moving forward. What To Know In his letter to Bondi, Hamadeh pointed to what he said were credible reports that boxes of printed blank ballots from several states were improperly mixed with returned mail ballots that were in the process of being prepared for tabulation in Runbeck's warehouse. He did not provide any details about the origin of the allegations, which have not been confirmed. am Bondi, U.S. Attorney General, during a press conference at Port Everglades on April 09, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bondi has been asked by a Republican congressman to investigate "credible claims" that an elections... am Bondi, U.S. Attorney General, during a press conference at Port Everglades on April 09, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bondi has been asked by a Republican congressman to investigate "credible claims" that an elections service provider breached protocols during the 2024 election. More Getty He requested that the DOJ investigate the circumstances surrounding the mixing of the ballots at the warehouse, security measures that were in place to prevent such incidents and whether they were followed and the potential impact on the accuracy of election results in Arizona's Maricopa County and elsewhere. Hamadeh's office also pointed to Patel's turning over of documents about an alleged plan for China to mass-produce fake driver's licenses and ship them to the U.S. to make fake mail-in ballots. What People Are Saying Representative Abe Hamadeh, in a statement: "This alarming situation raises serious questions about the security and integrity of the election process in Maricopa County and potentially beyond. "The comingling of blank ballots with live ballots poses a significant risk to the accuracy and fairness of election results. It is crucial that we have confidence in the integrity of our elections, and any potential mishandling of ballots must be investigated to ensure that the will of the voters is accurately reflected." Costas Panagopoulos, a professor of political science at Northeastern University, previously told Newsweek: "Irregularities in elections should always be investigated, but the sources of such inconsistencies, which can include error or miscalculation, are not always nefarious. Mistakes can happen." What Happens Next The DOJ has not yet issued a response to Hamadeh's request for an investigation.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Luzerne County Election Board approves two drop boxes and pilot program
Apr. 17—Luzerne County will again provide two mail ballot drop boxes for the May 20 primary election inside county-owned buildings in Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre, a county election board majority decided Wednesday. The box in the Penn Place Building lobby in Wilkes-Barre will have a camera and other added security features because the board also agreed Wednesday to participate in a pilot program. This box from Runbeck Election Services photographs both the face of the person at the box and each side of the envelope inserted. It also has multiple points of internal fire suppression in the event an explosive material is somehow inserted through the opening. The slot itself is fitted to the width of a mail ballot envelope, which prevents the insertion of more than one at a time. The standard mailbox-style drop box used in past elections will be set up inside the Broad Street Exchange Building in downtown Wilkes-Barre. Video surveillance cameras in each building must record footage of the drop boxes throughout their use. The election board had agreed last October to provide two drop boxes at the same locations for the November 2024 general election, concluding two additional boxes hosted by outside entities could not be deployed because they cannot be anchored to the floor or a wall. However, assistant Solicitor Gene Molino said there was no formal board vote to provide only two boxes at that time, which is why official confirmation was necessary Wednesday. Both actions were approved by four election board members: Chairwoman Christine Boyle, Rick Morelli, Albert Schlosser and Daniel Schramm. Board Vice Chairwoman Alyssa Fusaro voted no on both. Fusaro, a Republican, listed a series of reasons she won't support any drop boxes Wednesday. The boxes are not mandated through legislation to comply with statewide election uniformity requirements, she said, adding she believes most voters want the boxes eliminated. Morelli, the other Republican board member, said there were board discussions about adding a fifth drop box early last year, and the county is now down to two, which he described as a "very good compromise." He also said both political parties should rethink their strategies if they believe two drop boxes will cause them to win or lose. Regarding the pilot program decision, Fusaro said the election bureau did not inform the board it would be applying to participate, causing the board to be "slapped with it after the fact." Fusaro also questioned the cost and predicted there will be issues with ballots jamming. Schlosser, a Democrat, said he believes the new drop box will help with election integrity and is worth trying, especially for residents who do not want to vote at polling places or rely on the postal system. Schramm, a Democrat, said the enhanced drop box photographs those depositing ballots and links those photos to specific ballots, which is a "step forward." Morelli said he is pleased the county was selected to participate in the pilot and believes the expense is worthwhile to address security concerns that have been raised by drop box critics. Boyle, a Democrat, agreed with Fusaro that she felt "caught off guard" when the pilot program was announced but said the board later had an opportunity to examine the drop box at a public demonstration. She said the new box is a "potential better way forward" as stated by Schlosser, Schramm and Morelli. County Election Director Emily Cook said the bureau has prepared a video on the new box that will be posted on the election page at Approximately 50,000 county voters have requested mail ballots this year. Cook said she is aiming to start mailing them this week. Other businesses In other business Wednesday, the board voted to: —Designate Boyle to serve with Fusaro on a the bipartisan board that spot-checks drop box surveillance footage — a practice initiated in 2023. —Approve Cook, Election Deputy Director Steve Hahn and election Poll Worker Coordinator Amanda Latoski as the canvassing board members for the primary election. Fusaro voted against the appointments. Authorized by the board last month, the staff canvassing board will handle post-election processing of flagged mail and provisional ballots during the public adjudication process to reduce the workload of the volunteer election board. Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hobbs vetoes Republican plan to end Election Day ballot drop-offs
An employee at Runbeck Election Services monitors early ballots being printed at the company's facility in Phoenix. Photo by Jerod MacDonad-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a Republican proposal to speed up election results by adopting policies used in Florida that would have eliminated the way hundreds of thousands of Arizonans cast their ballot each year. Senate Republicans have called the idea 'wildly popular,' and the Arizona Republican Party has been pushing a phone and email campaign to encourage Hobbs to sign it into law. But before House Bill 2703 had even been passed, its fate was known, after Hobbs declared she would veto it because Republicans were unwilling to make concessions. In response, Republicans lobbed the same accusation at the governor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill passed through the House of Representatives on Feb. 12 by a vote of 32-27, and it cleared the Senate a day later by a vote of 16-10. In both chambers, only Republicans voted in favor. Among the changes HB2703 would have made is ending the practice of voters dropping their early ballots off at a polling place on Election Day, and instead requiring that they either go to the county recorder's office if they want to drop a ballot off after 7 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day or stand in line at a polling place to show ID before inserting their early ballot in a ballot tabulator. More than 264,000 Arizonans — nearly 8% of voters who cast a ballot — dropped off their early ballots on Election Day in November, according to the Secretary of State's Office. The bill also would have required voters on the Active Early Voter List — who receive a ballot in the mail automatically — to confirm their address each election cycle or be booted off the list, and it sought to mandate that schools serve as polling locations if the county requested. Additionally, it would have expanded in-person early voting through the day before Election Day instead of ending it on the Friday before. 'While I too want faster election results, the solution should not needlessly restrict Arizona citizens' freedom to vote, or undermine the learning and safety of students in public school districts,' Hobbs wrote in her veto letter. 'This legislation effectively ends the Active Early Voting List, something that has nothing to do with faster election results, but disenfranchises voters by adding additional steps for the hundreds of thousands of Arizona voters who prefer to vote by mail.' Hobbs has repeatedly said that she would veto any legislation that makes it more difficult to vote and outlined the compromises she said she was willing to make in order to make the legislation work. This bill is her first veto of the 2025 legislative session. 'Proposed changes included Friday early ballot drop off restrictions, while protecting the Active Early Voting List and some combination of same day voter registration, cross-county portability of voter registration, and expanded assistance for eligible voters to return their ballots in a timely manner,' Hobbs explained in her letter. 'A negotiated bill that included some of these provisions would have shown Arizonans that it is possible to both speed up counting and expand voter access.' Hobbs said in her letter that Republicans rejected those proposals. Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshen echoed Hobbs, saying that Republicans rejected their proposals in a video statement on the veto posted on X. 'Republicans attempted to use this moment as an excuse to reduce voter access under the guise of having election results called earlier when, in reality, expanding voter access and achieving faster election results are not mutually exclusive,' Sundareshen said. 'I want to give my sincere thanks to Governor Hobbs for vetoing this measure and safeguarding Arizonans fundamental right to vote and to make their voices heard.' Sundareshen's Democratic colleagues in the House made similar statements. Senate President Warren Petersen called the veto a 'huge mistake' in a press release shortly after Hobbs announced the veto. 'This was a missed opportunity to increase voter confidence and reduce frustration on election night,' Petersen, a Queen Creek Republican, said in the written statement. 'Instead of working with Republicans in good-faith to provide much-needed reforms to our election processes, the Governor impeded all efforts to ensure Arizona can report the vast majority of votes on Election Night. This is not what Arizonans want from their state's leaders. Republicans and Democrats should be able to work together to solve these issues in a bipartisan manner without resorting to political talking points.' The statement went on further to say that Republicans are weighing their options on how to continue to pursue the legislation. Last year, Republican lawmakers sent a record number of ballot referrals to voters to avoid Hobbs' veto pen. 'Status quo for our state's elections is not an option. Arizona should never again be the laughingstock of the nation for its woefully slow election reporting. Our caucus will be discussing a path forward on this issue in the days and weeks ahead,' Petersen said. Republicans have a similar proposal, House Concurrent Resolution 2013, which would be sent to voters in 2026 if approved by both chambers. 'Katie Hobbs failing to sign even the most commonsense bills being placed on her desk. It's pathetic,' Republican Governors Association spokesman Kollin Crompton said in a statement. 'Arizona lags the nation in the time it takes to count ballots and report results. The insane wait in reporting results is bad for governance, and causes chaos and uncertainty for voters, elected officials, and the country. To voters this is common sense, and clearly Hobbs has none.' Last November, Arizona was the last state in which the Associated Press called the presidential election results. The state has typically reported its full results about 13 days after the election for the past two decades. Republicans began making a policy point of the count when Arizona started to become a swing-state and as the margins of victory became even more narrow in many races. The bill would have curbed the drop off of 'late earlies' at polling locations in a voter's county by 7 p.m. the Friday before Election Day. Currently, voters can drop off their mail-in ballots at any polling place through 7 p.m. on Election Day. More than 264,000 Arizona voters drop off their early ballots on Election Day, according to the Secretary of State's Office. ***UPDATED: This story has been updated to include additional comments. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
