Pennsylvania
As 2024 election approaches, voting officials worry Pa. isn’t prepared for misinformation
Updating the code
Forrest Lehman, an election director in Lycoming County, said his priorities have shifted since the 2020 election.
“If you had asked me this a few years ago, I think my list would have largely aligned with other directors,” Lehman said, referring to expanded pre-canvassing and other measures designed to give workers more time to process ballots.
But now, he’s more concerned with strengthening the system against misinformation.
“It’s not pre-canvassing anymore, it’s not tinkering around with deadlines or even with mail ballot requirements,” he said. “It’s protecting our post-election processes and our certification processes from people who want to prevent democracy from functioning.”
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Lehman said he saw requests for recounts that he felt were based on “dubious” evidence and that were resulting in expensive litigation.
Lehman wants the state legislature to update the cost to file recount petitions to account for inflation. The state Election Code set the price at $50 in 1937, which is equivalent to over $1,000 in 2023. Both Lehman and Fernandez, the Erie County election official, said that amount would better reflect the cost to counties when they have to administer recounts.
Lehman also argued there should be a penalty for counties that fail to certify elections. Currently, the main recourse the state has against a county that holds up certification is a lawsuit. Lehman pointed to the federal Electoral Count Reform Act as a possible model; the bipartisan federal law raised the threshold for Congress to object to a slate of electors during presidential elections.
Lehman also suggested criminal penalties for anyone who harasses or tries to intimidate county election officials and poll workers, and he said he supports creating a process whereby counties could defend themselves in court if recount petitions were filed.
“I think all of us have a suspicion that [2020]’s all just a dress rehearsal for next year,” said Lehman. “And the expectation is that it’s all going to happen next year if we’re not prepared.”
Some election directors also say holistic updates to Pennsylvania’s Election Code would create a well-oiled election process and head off false claims of fraud.
The code is outdated. The bulk of its language was written more than 80 years ago, and some of its provisions are even older.
Because of this, counties’ actual administration practices sometimes must diverge from what is written in state law. Election directors rely on guidance from the state and their county legal counsel to navigate these gray areas in the law, but the situation can lead to misunderstandings and lawsuits from people confused about the law. It also leaves the door open for bad faith efforts to sow mistrust.
Thad Hall, election director in Mercer County, said one area that he thinks is particularly ripe for an update is language about technology, which is broadly inapplicable in the 21st century.
“The whole problem with the code is it’s written for paper, but we have an electronic process,” Hall said.
For example, the state Election Code currently requires each polling district to have two different workers keep lists of the voters who check-in. But Hall said that would not be necessary when using electronic pollbooks, which would record voters as they checked in.
“It makes it easier for everybody,“ Hall said. “Right now, I have to have two people go around and their whole job all day is just to write [voters’] names in a book. A lot easier if the system gave us leeway as to how we handle these check-ins.”
Hall added that electronic pollbooks also streamline communication between precincts and election directors, as they provide up-to-date information on the number of votes cast in each precinct, allowing him to instantly check if the right number of ballots is being uploaded for every precinct. If he saw a pollbook was offline, he would know there was an issue in that precinct.
The chance for change
All of the election directors who spoke with Spotlight PA questioned whether the state legislature would be able to pass any of the changes they’re asking for.
Fernandez was the most optimistic, saying she hopes that after the 2022 general election, Republicans would begin to support mail ballots and find areas of compromise with Democrats in the state legislature.
To some extent, her hopes came true — GOP rhetoric against mail voting has shifted slightly. That change could be seen shortly after state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), who badly lost his gubernatorial bid to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, said in a post-concession radio interview that he didn’t see how Republicans could win elections without “embracing” mail voting.
But that change in attitude hasn’t translated to legislative progress on election issues.
As recently as October, the state legislature has been unable to pass an election reform bill. As part of an effort to move the date of the upcoming primary so it would not conflict with Passover, state House leaders tried to pass a proposal that also rolled in pre-canvassing along with a more contentious provision that would expand voter ID requirements. The bill overwhelmingly failed to pass the state House.
“They just literally can’t pass a bill that is nondescript, it’s like it’s not in their DNA. And I do not understand why,” Hall said of lawmakers repeatedly adding politically divisive elements to bills that could otherwise get bipartisan support. “Is there any political advantage to passing the bill? Absolutely not. Will it make elections work better? Absolutely, yes.”
Both Lehman and Bluestein echoed Hall’s sentiments, saying they doubt any election law would change in time for next year’s races.
“The state-level actors, the courts, the legislature will have no one to blame but themselves. We’ve been very clear about what we need. They all refused to provide it,” said Lehman. “The can just keeps getting kicked down the road. And as long as that keeps being the case, the counties are going to have to be the adults in the room.”
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. (MyValleyTributes) – Charles “Yami” Frederick Jamison, age 83, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, formerly of Warren, Ohio, passed away, surrounded by his family, on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Haven Convalescent Home.
Mr. Jamison was born December 2, 1942, in New Castle, a son of the late Charles N. and Anna (Callihan) Jamison and was a 1960 graduate of New Castle High School.
Charles worked as an order checker clerk for Packard Electric Company, Warren, Ohio, for 31 years, until his retirement in 1999.
A proud veteran, he served his country in the United States Navy.
He was a member of St. Mary’s Church, Warren, Ohio and also attended Mass at Holy Spirit Parish – St. Mary’s Church.
Charles spent his free time hunting and playing Euchre.
He is survived by his four sisters, Margaret I. Klann, Mary E. DeMarco and Catherine “Kay” A. Houk (Robert), all of New Castle and Susan J. Olson (Donald), Winfield, Illinois; his brother, Richard Jamison (Linda) of New Castle; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the City Rescue Mission, 319 S. Croton Ave., New Castle, PA, 16101, and the Salvation Army, 240 W. Grant St., New Castle, PA, 16101.
The family would like to extend their gratitude and appreciation to the Haven Convalescent Home for the care and support that Charles received over the years.
Calling Hours will be from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 111 W. Falls St., New Castle.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on 10:30 a.m., Wednesday May 13, 2026, in Holy Spirit Parish – St. Mary’s Church, 124 N. Beaver St., New Castle, with Rev. Aaron Kriss, as celebrant.
Interment: Castleview Memorial Gardens, Neshannock Twp.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charles F. Jamison, please visit our flower store.
Is Using Your Phone at a Red Light Legal in Delaware?
Whether or not you can legally use a cellphone at a red light in Delaware is complicated.
According to the Delaware State Code, “No person shall drive a motor vehicle on any highway while using an electronic communication device while such motor vehicle is in motion.”
Traveling from the First State to the Keystone State soon?
If so, you might want to put your cellphone down while you’re in the car unless you don’t mind coughing up a few extra bucks.
Beginning June 6, drivers caught using an electrical device while driving will be fined $50.
See how the new law works and what devices are legal to use while driving in neighboring Pennsylvania and here in Delaware.
Is it legal to use a cellphone while driving in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania law has barred drivers from reading, writing or sending text messages while driving since 2012, but other handheld cellphone uses were permitted.
The new law that takes effect next month expands the ban to all handheld device use while driving.
New law expands cellphone driving ban in PA
The new regulation, dubbed Paul Miller’s Law, defines an interactive mobile device as basically any electronic handheld device that can be used for things such as voice communication, texting, surfing the internet, playing games, taking photos or sharing social media that can be operated using at least one hand or “supporting body part” or requires pressing more than a single button.
Can I text when stopped at a red light in Pennsylvania?
No, the Pennsylvania law defines driving as operating a motor vehicle on a highway, including anytime the vehicle is temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic control device or other momentary delay such as a traffic backup.
What are the penalties for using a cellphone while driving in PA?
- Prior to the law going into effect, the penalty is a written warning.
- Starting June 6, the penalty is a summary offense with a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees.
- The law does not authorize the seizure of an interactive wireless device.
- The violation carries no points against your license and it is not recorded on the driver’s record for noncommercial drivers. It will be recorded on a commercial driver’s record as a non-sanction violation.
- If a driver is convicted of homicide by vehicle and driving while distracted, they may be sentenced up to an additional five years in prison.
When can you use a mobile device in the car in Pennsylvania?
- A driver may use an interactive mobile device if the driver moves the vehicle to the side of or off a highway and halts in a location where the vehicle can safely remain stationary
- The hands-free law allows for an emergency use exception if it is necessary to communicate with a law enforcement official or other emergency service to prevent injury to persons or property.
- The texting ban does not include the use of a GPS device or a system or device that is physically or electronically integrated into the vehicle, or a communications device that is affixed to a mass transit vehicle, bus or school bus.
Who is the new law in PA named for?
Paul Miller Jr., 21, was killed in a head-on motor vehicle accident with a tractor-trailer in 2010 in Monroe County as the result of a distracted driver who reached for their phone while driving. He was a junior at East Stroudsburg University where he was majoring in sociology.
After his death, his mother, Eileen Miller, has become a national advocate for stronger laws to curb distracted driving. In 2024, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the law prohibiting the use of hand-held devices while driving, making Pennsylvania the 29th state to ban distracted driving.
Can you use a cellphone while driving in Delaware?
No, it is illegal for drivers to use any hand-held devices while driving in Delaware — and has been for over a decade.
This ban not only includes cellphones and smartphones, but also laptops, portable computers and tablets.
Drivers are also barred from reading, writing or sending text messages or emails; using the internet; or talking without a hands-free device at the ready while operating a vehicle.
Is there a fine for using a cellphone while driving in Delaware?
Any motorist caught using any hand-held device while driving will be fined $100 for their first offense. Any subsequent offense will result in a fine between $200 and $300.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana And Hemp Regulation Bill Sets The State Up For Broader Recreational Legalization, GOP Senator Says – Marijuana Moment
“This bill does not legalize adult-use cannabis, but eventually we probably will. If we have this board set up ahead of time, they can do it in a professional manner.”
By Ian Karbal, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
A state Senate committee has advanced a bill to create a Cannabis Control Board that would allow more oversight of the existing medical marijuana program. It would also regulate hemp-derived products, which contain intoxicating cannabinoids and are currently sold in head shops and gas stations around the commonwealth.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie), who has advocated for the legalization of recreational marijuana, says it would not legalize adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania, but he hopes it can serve as a step towards that goal.
“I think we need the board whether we ever legalize adult-use cannabis,” Laughlin said. “But if and when we do legalize adult-use cannabis, this is kind of laying the foundation for that.”
The bill has the support of cannabis industry groups, and has garnered several co-sponsors who have been hesitant on previous efforts to legalize recreational marijuana. It’s also earned opponents who are in favor of a broader legalization effort.
How would the board work?
Senate Bill 49 would take regulatory authority of the existing medical marijuana program from the state Department of Health and transfer it to a new Cannabis Control Board—sort of like how the Gaming Control Board oversees gambling in the commonwealth.
‘While the Department of Health has worked hard within its authority, it was never designed to manage a rapidly growing industry, resulting in a program bogged down by slow responses, inconsistent oversight and a lack of clarity—frustrating patients and legitimate businesses,” Laughlin said in a statement.
The new board, he said, would be able to move more quickly and to make decisions affecting the program without always requiring the approval of the legislature.
“The goal is obviously, if we create this board ahead of time, we can run all things cannabis in Pennsylvania in a professional manner,” Laughlin said. “And if you have a board that is set up, and they are allowed to promulgate regulations, we won’t have to pass a separate bill every time something pops up.”
The panel would also take on the regulation of hemp-derived products like delta-8 THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids.
These products, which are available for sale at stores around Pennsylvania, proliferated after the 2018 federal Farm Bill redefined hemp in an attempt to allow farmers to more easily grow the crop, even when it contains trace amounts of delta-9 THC, the intoxicating substance in marijuana.
But the legal change also opened a loophole, allowing people to process those hemp plants into products with other intoxicating compounds derived from it, like delta-8 THC.
The items are now commonly found in stores across the state, face virtually no regulatory oversight, and are generally not evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA has warned that the proliferation of the products has led to an uptick in calls to poison control centers and reports of so-called adverse events. The agency says the products can be mislabeled or contain potentially harmful chemicals.
And Laughlin says, in some cases, they’re sold to young Pennsylvanians without ID requirements.
The effort to create a cannabis control board in Pennsylvania has earned praise from the pro-cannabis lobbying group, Responsible PA, which represents many cannabis businesses like dispensaries operating under Pennsylvania’s medical program. Their clients’ products face significantly more regulation than over-the-counter hemp-derived products.
“I would say this is a step forward,” said Monica McCafferty, a Responsible PA spokesperson. “We know that about 70 percent of Pennsylvanians do want adult-use legalization, so we as an advocate group are focused on that, but Senate Bill 49 is a step forward.”
She praised the effort to regulate hemp-derived products and also called it a move in the right direction, “in terms of keeping the conversation going and ultimately getting to a place where we have comprehensive cannabis regulation.”
Some sellers of medical cannabis have also embraced the effort.
“While licensed marijuana operators adhere to some of the nation’s strictest safety and testing protocols, 87 percent of Pennsylvanians are unaware that hemp-derived products are not currently held to those same requirements,” said Marcus Peter, the vice president of external affairs for Terrapin, a company that was among the earliest recipients of a marijuana grower/processor licenses through Pennsylvania’s medical program. “By establishing a Cannabis Control Board, we can ensure that every operator—regardless of the product’s origin—meets the same high bar for consumer safety and lab-tested quality.”
Notably, the federal definition of hemp is set to change again in November in an attempt to close what’s known as the “hemp loophole.” The change in law will severely restrict the amount of THC that hemp-derived products sold in stores can contain, and ban synthetic cannabinoids altogether.
Will it lead to legalization?
While Laughlin has stressed that his bill would not legalize recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania, he told reporters that he hopes it will be “a step that’s needed to make that happen.”
“This bill does not legalize adult-use cannabis, but eventually we probably will,” he added. “If we have this board set up ahead of time, they can do it in a professional manner.”
Laughlin has long been a supporter of legalizing cannabis since a time, he said, the stance was “cutting edge” for a Republican.
As it stands, the Republican-controlled Senate remains the largest obstacle to legalizing recreational cannabis.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), for his part, has included legalizing cannabis in each of his annual budget proposals since taking office. House Democrats have also expressed support for legalization, and passed a bill to that end last year, which died in the Senate.
But Laughlin is hopeful that times are changing. More Republicans, he said, have expressed openness to legalizing cannabis for recreational use in recent months and years. That’s been especially true since the Trump administration took steps to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III substance, which acknowledges potential medical benefits and clears the way for more research on its effects.
“Some of our more conservative members are watching the president kind of wade into this, if you will. And times are changing pretty rapidly,” he said.
It’s unclear what practical effects, if any, rescheduling could have in marijuana-related criminal cases, the existing medical market, or how the substance is treated in the commonwealth.
Sen. President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) is one of the bill’s co-sponsors. As Senate president, she plays a key role in deciding which committees bills are sent to, and whether they receive a floor vote in the chamber. In the past, she’s expressed hesitance about efforts to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in Pennsylvania.
A spokesperson for Ward did not respond to questions from the Capital-Star about her support of the bill or where she stands on recreational legalization.
On the other hand, Laughlin’s bill was opposed by all Democrats on the Senate Law & Justice Committee, where it received a 6-5 vote Monday. Sen. Dawn Keefer (R-York) joined every Democrat on the panel in opposing it.
A spokesperson for Senate Democrats said the caucus is in favor of full legalization, but opposes what they see as a stop-gap measure, especially as key figures in the Republican party continue to oppose recreational cannabis.
Their statement cited a recent comment from Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacey Garrity, who told a Philadelphia NBC station, “I don’t support legalizing recreational marijuana… [The legislature is] never going to pass it, not as long as Senate Republicans are in control of the Senate.”
“Senate Democrats have long championed legalizing recreational marijuana as the right and smart move for the Commonwealth,” the spokesperson said. “SB 49 does not move us closer to this goal. Senate Democrats are committed to ensuring that cannabis products are safe and regulated, but SB 49 does not meet our standards.
“Perhaps most importantly, the Republican candidate for Governor made it clear that Senate Republicans are not interested in legalizing adult-use recreational cannabis,” they said. “Pennsylvania is leaving money on the table by entertaining distractions about a regulatory board in the absence of a conversation about legalizing adult-use marijuana.”
A spokesperson for Shapiro did not respond to questions about whether the governor supports the effort.
All of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states, save West Virginia, have legalized recreational marijuana. The Independent Fiscal Office has estimated that regulated recreational marijuana could bring in $140 million in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which would grow to over $430 million annually by 2031.
Laughlin said he thinks the Cannabis Control Board bill has a “very good chance” of receiving a full Senate vote in June.
This story was first published by Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
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