York County News

Apr. 16, 2024

HARRISBURG – House Republican Appropriations Chairman Seth Grove (R-York) has urged Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Department of State to take action against third-party websites like vote.pa that are stealing personal information under the guise of voter registration. Grove's call comes after a report by Broad and Liberty highlighted the deceptive practices of such websites.

Grove expressed his concern, stating, "It is absolutely unacceptable for third-party entities to use the guise of ‘voter registration’ as a cover for their data theft operations." He pointed to vote.pa as a specific example, saying, "Vote.pa is a prime example of such a malicious attempt, preying on unsuspecting voters or potential voters who are likely seeking the official Department of State’s website, vote.pa.gov."

Questioning the effectiveness of Shapiro’s Election Threats Task Force, Grove emphasized the need for action, asking, "Why is the governor’s Election Threats Task Force not sounding the alarm?" He also highlighted his previous efforts to address such issues, mentioning, "House Bill 1300, a comprehensive and bipartisan Election Code update bill I authored last session, would have outlawed this practice."

Grove's concerns revolve around the misinformation spread by these websites, with him stating, "Intentionally misleading voters to believe they are on an official government website to register to vote or request a mail-in ballot is blatant misinformation."

In response to Grove's call for action, Gov. Tom Wolf's office and the Department of State have yet to issue a statement regarding the issue. Grove's efforts highlight the ongoing challenges in safeguarding voter information and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.