(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) In the opening salvo of what is likely to be a brutal courtroom battle against Marc Elias and his legion of lawyers to force Democrats (and some corrupt Republicans) in swing states to uphold election law, the Trump campaign sued Bucks County, Pennsylvania, for illegally shutting down early voting on Tuesday, the final day to do so before next week’s election.
“This is a direct violation of Pennsylvanians’ rights to cast their ballot – and all voters have a right to STAY in line,” the campaign said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
Turnout for early voting has been robust nationwide, with Republicans reportingly leading in several swing states, although Democrats maintained a significant advantage in Pennsylvania, where more than 1.4 million of the commonwealth’s 9 million registered voters had cast early ballots as of Tuesday.
Pennsylvania Early Voting Update:
🔵DEM: 819,112 – 58.4%
🔴GOP: 438,017 – 31.2%Early Voting Democrat Firewall: +381,095
Based on what info is left EV should end up with about 1,850,000 total votes. That isn't the best news for Dems they were hoping it would be 1.9 to 2… pic.twitter.com/HVlic97kep
— CoolHandElias (@CoolHandElias) October 28, 2024
Multiple Pennsylvania counties, however, had also reported on malfeasance, including suspicious ballot requests in at least three counties, reports of broken machines, a bomb threat and other efforts to derail voters.
A video posted to X also showed what watchdogs said was buses full of non-English-speakers wearing Harris/Walz stickers who were allowed to cut ahead of those waiting in line and received assistance from “translators” filling out their ballots.
ILLEGAL "VOTERS" CUTTING THE LINE AGAIN!
Look at this BS in Pennsylvania… swing state… it figures.
BUSSES of non-english speaking "citizens" are guided past Americans who had been waiting in line for hours to cast their early votes.
These people, all wearing Harris Walz… pic.twitter.com/rxRlqtN1Cs
— Ann Vandersteel™️ (@annvandersteel) October 29, 2024
Most outrageous of all, however, was Bucks County, where officials illegally closed down early voting in Quakerstown at 1:45 p.m. and in Levittown at 3:45 p.m., despite Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro and the commonwealth’s State Department having already announced that the early voting deadline was 5 p.m.
Several people dressed in police uniforms harrassed those who refused to exit the line while trying to assert their legal right to vote.
DISENFRANCHISEMENT: At least 50 voters in Levittown, PA at the Lower Bucks Government Services Center were denied the opportunity to vote in person today. Throughout the afternoon, certain individuals paced the line of voters making statements like “oh the lines really long we… pic.twitter.com/zhuCEgCBWq
— Paul Giblin 🇺🇸🗑️ (@dreamlessod) October 29, 2024
Watchdogs also documented individuals with fake “Voter Protection” badges claiming to be voting officials, although they were revealed, upon closer inspection, to be Democrat operatives.
Voter fraud in Quakertown Bucks county Pa.
They cut the line at 1:45 and handed everyone a bs handout saying it’s not a polling place and saying it’s a courtesy.
Also there are people here with “voter” protection tags. I asked the lady if I could see her credentials as a pole… pic.twitter.com/XTE49A8agn— kellyannlu17🇺🇸🐸⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@kellyannelu) October 29, 2024
One of the officers prominently featured in the viral videos appeared to be Charles Geiger, a Bucks County Emergency Services peace officer (i.e. security guard) who made two donations totaling $99 to WinRed, a Republican donation aggregator, in September. Headline USA reached out to Geiger and will update with any response.
The episodes followed a similar incident on Tuesday that was denounced by Republican National Committee co-chair Michael Whatley, in which a woman was reportedly arrested for telling others it was their right to stay in line.
A supporter of President Trump's was arrested today for encouraging people to stay in the early voting line and cast their ballots freely in Pennsylvania.
This follows reports from across the commonwealth that voters are being turned away in conservative areas.
This is voter… pic.twitter.com/ye4qTcfEn5
— Michael Whatley (@ChairmanWhatley) October 28, 2024
After outrage grew on social media, prompting Republican lawyers to respond, Bucks County officials subsequently announced that those who had been forced to leave the line on Wednesday could return on Thursday during the regular precint hours and cast their vote.
🚨🇺🇸 ATTENTION PENNSYLVANIA ' EARLY VOTING HAS OFFICIALLY ENDED
However, in Lancaster County, if you did not make it today and you ALREADY have a ballot filled, you can come drop it off during business hours.
Also, in BUCKS COUNTY, IF you were IN LINE by 5PM today and were… pic.twitter.com/3E1T1INz6f
— Diligent Denizen 🇺🇸 (@DiligentDenizen) October 29, 2024
The Trump campaign said that anyone asked to exit the line before the designated time should submit a report for its team of litigators to review.
Billionaire X owner Elon Musk, who has been a staunch supporter of Trump’s campaign, also announced that any voters who had encountered evidence of fraud or other issues undermining election integrity could document them at a database on the platform.
If you are aware of any election integrity issues, please report them to the 𝕏 Election Integrity Community https://t.co/debSdx4qmo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2024
Ben Sellers is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/realbensellers.