State Senator Cris Dush withdrew 77 challenges to ballots protected under the Uniformed Overseas and Citizens Absentee Voter Act during a hearing in Centre County.
The act allows American armed service members or citizens living abroad to cast their vote in federal elections in the district in which they last lived, although they are not entitled to vote in state and local elections.
Dush, of Pennsylvania’s 25th district, originally made 124 challenges, but the Board of Elections said several complaints were duplicates. After the Centre County Board of Elections affirmed the voters were properly registered, Dush withdrew his challenges.
During the hearing, several overseas citizens, like Iliana Baums, who lived in Centre County for many years, expressed their irritation at having their votes challenged.
“I really do not appreciate this. It was a baseless challenge that was clearly meant to disenfranchise voters,” she said. “This is just not ok.”
Dush has a history of challenging ballots and led efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Pennsylvania.
The 77 ballots in Centre County were among 3,700 challenges suddenly launched on Friday throughout the state. York County dismissed 354 challenges in an emergency meeting Monday.
There will be no change in how or when the 77 ballots will be counted.
