PA GOP Voter Is Arrested for Trying to Stop Election Officials From Engaging in Voter Suppression

AP Photo/Adam Bettcher

We're seven days out from November 5, and early voting in every state that allows it is chugging along magnificently. After 10 days of early voting, the state of Georgia reported Thursday that they had surpassed the two million mark in ballots cast.

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We have no clue who people are voting for, all we know are the party registrations; but in some states, Republican registrations appear to be outweighing Democrat ones. So, are Democrats ramping up the encouragement to their voters to get out and make their voices heard? Sort of.

They are also doing what they do well: finding ways to suppress, cheat, and out-and-outright sabotage. From ballot boxes going up in flames in the Pacific Northwest to lawfare efforts to ensure fraudulent or illegal ballots are counted, it seems to be a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. In the swing state of Pennsylvania, a woman saw an election worker telling people in the long lines that if it wasn't critical for them to vote, they should get out of line. When the woman tried to encourage them to stay in place, the election worker called the police on her and she was arrested and handcuffed.

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley shared the video:

WATCH:

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 suppression from the left. Do not let them turn you away.  

GO VOTE!

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The Trump campaign's political director posted another video which confirms this is indeed happening. 

The voter mentioned by Whatley is named Val Biancaniello. She was doing no electioneering or advocating for one candidate or another. She did not have on any politically-promotional clothing. Biancaniello was just correcting the Bureau of Elections worker who was ACTIVELY discouraging people from voting. She replied to Whatley's post and thanked him for amplifying the video of her arrest.

Thank you for sharing this video. That is me in the video being handcuffed and taken away. I broke NO laws. On the other hand, the Bureau of Elections worker telling everyone in line that they “should only be in this line if you have a pressing reason to vote” is VOTER SUPPRESSION. No one requires a “pressing need” to vote by mail, that is why it is called “no excuse mail in voting.” The election bureau worker also announced to the long line of voters “the wait is two hours and then we are going to put you in a second line, and then a third line.” Can you imagine if we said this to a long line of Democrat voters? I did not break any laws, though they tried to convince me I did. They put me in handcuffs, took me to a holding room where I was patted down, and then I was handcuffed to a bench. Eventually, the officer took the handcuffs off and walked me out of the building telling me I am getting a citation for disorderly conduct. I will fight that. I broke NO laws. I encouraged people to stay in line and vote. There are plenty of witnesses who know the truth. Please vote!  #SwampTheVote! If they took me away in handcuffs, you could be next! #Trump #Trump2024 #MAGA #FightFightFight 

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The RNC issued a press release after the arrest of Biancaniello, who was an RNC delegate in 2020 and 2024 and currently serves as a Pennsylvania GOP state committeewoman. According to the release, the RNC has received numerous complaints about voters being turned away in conservative areas of Pennsylvania and sent a legal demand letter to the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth about the situation: 

Just this morning, the RNC sent a demand letter to the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth regarding election officials who told voters that computers were down, that polling sites were closing early and would not be accepting more voters, and that their ballots would not be counted. Local election officials actively turned away voters in a direct attack on their right to a safe and secure election.  

This is voter suppression. Election officials in Pennsylvania must IMMEDIATELY ensure every voice is heard and every legal vote is counted; election officials must ensure a fair, free and transparent election.

Florida GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is also raising the alarm bells on a Democrat-funded get-out-the-vote arm coordinating mailer disinformation campaigns in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Michigan in order to suppress Republican voters.

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ProPublica, not exactly a right-wing outlet, reported on Center for Voter Information (CVI) in 2020, where they apparently used the pandemic to hone their tactics.

The applications were from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Voter Information, which, along with its sister organization, the Voter Participation Center, is conducting a massive campaign to register voters and promote mail-in voting. The nonprofits aim to send 340 million pieces of mail this election cycle, with a focus on two dozen key states. The groups describe themselves as nonpartisan, but they were founded by a former Democratic operative, and the organization has spent at least $47,142 this cycle to promote former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential bid and $40,065 supporting other Democrats, according to public filings.

Now CVI is extending its reach to any state where they can seed confusion into the electoral process. A local Maine publication is raising the alarm about CVI's interference in a state congressional race.

Maine voters in the Second Congressional District received campaign mailers this week from the Center for Voter Information (CVI), a 501(c)4 nonprofit group that claims to promote nonpartisan voter education.

However, a deeper look into CVI’s materials reveals that the mailers are thinly disguised political advocacy for incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Jared Golden with claims that bear little resemblance to the truth.

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The same is occurring in New Mexico.

As the race for New Mexico’s Second Congressional District tightens between Republican former Congresswoman Yvette Herrell and far-left Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez, outside groups are trying to drop last-minute disinformation about Herrell into the district before Election Day.

In the last couple of days, voters have received mailers from a group calling itself the “Center for Voter Information,” which is a leftist dark money 501(c)(4) advocacy group well-known for helping Democrats with deceptive mailers against Republicans.

The best disinfectant is sunlight, and it is heartening that the Republican National Committee and Republican elected officials are shining the light. It is also heartening that citizens on the ground are exposing these tactics. The Democrats know they are on the verge of losing, so they are doing all they can to foment chaos and confusion and manipulate the voters in this highly charged election. With seven days to go, it is only the commitment to call their tactics out wherever we find them that will ensure their plans do not succeed.

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