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17 U. Mass. L. Rev. 81 (2021-2022)
The President Who Cried Voter Fraud: A Recurring Theme of Baseless Allegations

handle is hein.journals/sonengrs17 and id is 80 raw text is: UMass Law Review The President Who Cried Voter Fraud: A Recurring Theme of Baseless Allegations Alyssa F. McCartney, Esq.* 17 U. MASS. L. REV. 81 ABSTRACT In 2019, Pennsylvania enacted Act 77, the first update to the Pennsylvania Election Code in nearly eighty years. Passed on a bipartisan basis, the law included a measure that permitted no reason mail-in ballots. Act 77 allowed any registered voter to request a ballot by mail, fill it out in the applicable time frame, and send it back to be processed. In the wake of a global pandemic that left Americans unable to leave their homes, this necessary update caused quite the controversy only a few months after it was passed. The primary election used the updated process for the first time on June 2, 2020. Receiving nothing but praises and positive feedback, the measures seemed to keep tensions at ease. That is, until the sitting President's re-election campaign filed suit against Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and the Commonwealth's sixty-seven counties. Explaining a new process comes with challenges, but when you tack on a President purposely fanning the flames of doubt, mail-in ballots proved to be a tough sell. As President Donald J. Trump continued to allege baseless voter fraud accusations, the American people grew more restless in a year that was already full of uncertainty. As a key swing state in presidential elections, Pennsylvania took center stage in Trump's war on the election rigged by Democrats. This article aims to address Trump's relentless allegations of voter fraud-something that was sadly not new for him. By analyzing Pennsylvania and offering an insight into Centre County election protocols, this article will squash the baseless accusations to show the election results were fair, free, and unaffected by alleged fraud. Although President Trump refused to concede in hopes of the United States Supreme Court intervening, he lacked any standing and could not offer substantial evidence to support his claims. In short, these frivolous lawsuits were an attempt to undermine our democratic process by a man who has no shame spinning the narrative to suit his needs. AUTHOR'S NOTE *B.A., University of Pittsburgh; J.D., University of Massachusetts School of Law. Alyssa is a former Business Editor for UMass Law Review and is currently an associate at a Philadelphia law firm where she practices in the field of products liability. As a Centre County native, Alyssa has a unique perspective and interest in local politics. She would like to thank Commissioner Pipe and Representative 81

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