Votes in the presidential election cannot yet be counted -- or even opened -- by officials in Pennsylvania.
But former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is already claiming that, in some undisclosed way, Pennsylvania is "cheating."
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump posted on Wednesday morning that "Pennsylvania is cheating, and getting caught, at large scale levels rarely seen before."
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
In the post, Trump doesn't identify what, specifically, he's accusing the state of cheating at.
His campaign is suing Bucks County over claims of voter intimidation and long lines as voters gathered to get mail-in ballots on the last day they were able to request them on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
At a rally in Allentown on Tuesday, Michael Whatley, chair of the Republican National Committee, told a gathered crowd that he was "proud to announce" that the lawsuit had been brought forward.
"I'm proud tonight to tell you that the Trump-Vance campaign has just filed a huge lawsuit against Bucks County for turning away our voters," he said.
His campaign filed these documents in Bucks County:
The Trump-Vance campaign did not identify any specific incident in which voters were turned away or prevented from obtaining mail-in ballots -- though Bucks County officials noted that they were aware of some stories on social media claiming people had issues obtaining mail-in ballots before Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline.
In a statement released Wednesday morning, Trump's campaign claimed voters waiting in line were turned away "as early as 2:30 p.m."
Trump's campaign also shared a video from James Blair, political director of the campaign, that claimed election officials were pushing people out of line as they waited for mail-in ballots.
🚨 Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
— James Blair (@JamesBlairUSA) October 29, 2024
There’s been lines like this for days across counties in PA. Only for elections officials to come out and push people out of line and tell them to come back.
Voter suppression! pic.twitter.com/aYrR1N1AeD
However, Bucks Co. officials posted on social media about how voters who encountered issues could still obtain mail-in ballots.
Contrary to what is being depicted on social media, if you are in line by 5 p.m. for an on-demand mail-in ballot application, you will have the opportunity to submit your application for a mail-in ballot. (1/3)
— Bucks County Government (@BucksCountyGovt) October 29, 2024
Officials in Bucks County claimed on Tuesday that "due to a miscommunication, individuals in line to apply for an on-demand mail-in ballot were briefly told they could not be accommodated. In fact, these voters were given the opportunity to submit mail-in ballot applications today."
Contacted Wednesday morning, officials in Bucks County told NBC10 that they were aware of the lawsuit, but had no further comment on any pending legal case.
In Lehigh County, due to traffic closures and delays caused by Trump's visit to Allentown on Tuesday, election officials have extended over-the-counter mail-in balloting until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
In a response on social media, Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro, reacted to Trump's claims, noting that the former president has attacked election integrity in the past, as well.
Republican and Democratic clerks of elections are doing their jobs here in Pennsylvania – and together with law enforcement, they’re making sure only eligible voters are able to register and vote.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) October 30, 2024
Let’s remember, in 2020, Donald Trump attacked our elections over and over.
I was… https://t.co/Ham7RnLdgD
Officials with the state's election office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump's unspecified claims.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
