Woman accused of applying for mail-in ballot for deceased father before Pa. primary & Trump administration seeks more Pa. voter information, raises potential legal concerns 8&9AUG25

 

ANOTHER example of republicans committing voter fraud while the gop / greed over people-republican party at every level of government accuses Democrats and the Democratic Party of actively committing voter fraud. BUT the drumpf / trump-vance administration still has the nerve to request voter information from Pennsylvania to make sure voter laws are being enforced! HEY republicans, voter laws in Pennsylvania are being enforced, authorities just caught another republican committing voter fraud in the Commonwealth! From NBC10 Philadelphia and NPR's WSEA 90.5 in Pittsburgh.....

Woman accused of applying for mail-in ballot for deceased father before Pa. primary

By David Chang and Deanna Durante • Published August 8, 2025

Cheryl Blake, 45, of Richboro, Pennsylvania, is accused of applying for mail-in ballots for herself and her deceased father before the May primary.

A Bucks County woman faces voter fraud charges after she allegedly applied for mail-in ballots for herself as well as her deceased father before the Pennsylvania primary.

The investigation began on May 13, 2025, when the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office received a complaint from the Voter Registration Office Supervisor of the Bucks County Board of Elections & Voter Office. The supervisor told investigators that an application for a mail-in ballot was completed for Robert Seamans on April 16, 2025. However, after finding his obituary, the office determined that Seamans had died on April 26, 2024, at the age of 81.

Investigators also determined that the email address on his ballot application appeared to belong to his daughter, Cheryl Blake, 45, of Richboro, Pennsylvania. Officials said another mail-in ballot application was completed for Blake for the Pennsylvania primary.

Investigators traced the phone number and email address on both applications back to Blake’s home and determined they were submitted within minutes of each other, according to the criminal complaint. During an interview on Friday, July 18, 2025, Blake allegedly admitted to completing the absentee application for her deceased father from her home. She was charged with unlawful voting and violations relating to absentee/mail-in ballots.

A prosecutor confirmed with NBC10 that Blake did not cast a vote during the Pennsylvania primary, which took place on May 20, 2025.

Blake is listed as a member of the Northampton Township Republican Committee. The chair of the committee told NBC10 he hadn't heard of the allegations and couldn't make an educated comment.

NBC10 went to her home for comment. We were met by a man who asked us to turn off the camera and told us it was “just a stupid thing.”

Blake’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2025. Online court records don’t list an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

Editor's Note: Cheryl Blake works for NBC Sports Next, a division of NBC Universal.

Trump administration seeks more Pa. voter information, raises potential legal concerns

By Carter Walker | Votebeat

Published August 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM EDT

The U.S. Justice Department is asking Pennsylvania to turn over its complete voter rolls, a request that appears to encompass voters’ personal information, including Social Security and driver’s license numbers.

The request, which Pennsylvania officials received in a letter last week, is part of a recent push to get states to turn over voter registration information, which the federal government says is aimed at enforcing election law.

But one expert told Votebeat and Spotlight PA that the federal government is likely asking for more information than it needs, and that it would be potentially illegal for states to turn over this kind of personal data.

The letter, sent to Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt on Aug. 4, was first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. It asks the state for a copy of its voter rolls — which it had not requested in its previous communications with Pennsylvania about election security — as well as information on the state’s answer to a survey about election administration.

“We write to you as the chief election official for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to request information regarding the Commonwealth’s procedures for complying with the statewide voter registration list maintenance provisions of the National Voter Registration Act,” the letter said.

Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School in California and former civil rights official in the Justice Department, said he thinks the request oversteps the federal government’s authority.

The letter cites the National Voter Registration Act, which provides for voter registration information to be public. But the law doesn’t say that “all fields” in the voter rolls can be made public, as the letter requests.

COLLEGE STUDENT VOTERS FOR 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

TO EVERYONE who knows anyone going to college in the below states  (as an out of state student) please pass the below on to them as well as to family, friends and coworkers who are supporting the Harris-Walz campaign. More information is available at All In Out Of State College Student Voting Guide or All In To Vote

LET PEOPLE VOTE: Your voting plan in 4 easy steps FROM THE ACLU 14SEP20

Today 15 September, 2020, we have 49 days till the 2020 presidential and national elections on TUESDAY, 3  NOVEMBER 2020. If you are not sure if you are registered to vote, if you have to register to vote, if you do not know what voting requirements are in your state the ACLU offers the following information.  So many people have sacrificed so much including those who gave their own lives on the battlefield as well as on the streets of America so we have the ability, the right and the responsibility to choose those who govern us, please do not let their sacrifice be in vain. In the words of the late, great John Lewis, "We must go out and vote like we have never, ever, voted before"!

We have just 50 days until Election Day, and it's imperative that every eligible voter safely casts their ballot amidst the ongoing pandemic. As the ACLU continues to fight for voting rights nationwide, we also want to help you make your own voting plan now.

Here are four easy ways to start putting your voting plan in place for this pivotal election:

1. Register

• First thing's first: Check your registration status if you haven't done so already. If you discover you need to register to vote or update your registration, go to vote.gov to start the process. (Please note: Both links take you to third-party websites, nass.org and vote.gov, respectively.)

2. Find VA's Voting Information

• Visit the ACLU's voting tool today at aclu.org/voter and select your state to get the latest election information and resources for your area.

3. Learn About Vote by Mail

• Voting by mail will be the safest way for many to cast their ballot this year in a pandemic. We recommend that all voters request a vote-by-mail ballot ASAP to help ensure that one is sent to their current address – no later than two weeks before the request deadline. Watch more on the importance of vote by mail in our video at the top of our voting toolkit here.

4. Know Your Voting Rights

• Before you fill out your ballot, knowing your voting rights is crucial. Learn more here about how to exercise your voting rights, resist voter intimidation efforts, and access disability-related accommodations and language assistance at the polls.

Craig, we are in the courts and in Congress doing everything in our power right now to ensure no one has to choose between their health and the right to vote during a global pandemic. And it's in your power to help in this fight by making a voting plan at aclu.org/voter today. Then, come November 3rd, we'll all have done our part to ensure we can vote like our rights depend on it. Because they do.

Thanks for taking action,

The ACLU Team

P.S. Already made your voting plan? Help your friends and family be just as prepared by forwarding this email or texting five contacts in your phone this link: aclu.org/voter

Heart of the Primaries: Democrats, Issue 22 18JUN18

Updates from Ballotpedia on the Democratic primaries in 2018. THE 2018 MIDTERM ELECTION IS ON TUESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 18. GO TO ROCK THE VOTE or VOTE.ORG to make sure you are registered to vote or to register to vote as well as information about voting in your state. GO TO Ballotpedia for information on candidates for office and ballot issues in your state. 

Sponsored by Political Wire This week: Conyers family feud in Michigan, Ervin bows out in Maryland, and a rough year for incumbent legislators. Click here to follow developments on the Republican side. Have a tip or see something we missed? Email us at geoff@ballotpedia.org. And please share this newsletter with your colleagues!

UPCOMING FILING DEADLINES

UPCOMING PRIMARY ELECTIONS

DECLARED CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES

DEMOCRATIC PUNDITS ON THE NEWS Where do Democratic and progressive pundits disagree? Each week in Heart of the Primaries, we bring you excerpts that highlight differing views.

“Across four states with contested primary elections, Democratic voters embraced the candidates favored — and in some cases handpicked — by party leaders in Washington and the states, spurning insurgents who tried to align themselves with the activist left.” - Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, The New York Times, June 13, 2018

“The real loser Tuesday night wasn’t Freitas, or even mainstream conservatives. It was those who think American democracy functions best when we have two normal parties — one on the mainstream left, one on the mainstream right. While Republicans statewide were leaning to the hard right to nominate Stewart, Democrats in western Virginia went as far left as they could go to find candidates for the 6th and 9th congressional districts.” - Roanoke Times Editorial Board, The Roanoke Times, June 14, 2018

Conyers family line of succession battle meets end in Michigan Court of Appeals The resignation of longtime incumbent Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D) that set up a months-long family feud over which younger Conyers would carry the family name into Michigan’s 13th Congressional District Democratic primary may be nearing its end. John Conyers III (D), son of the former incumbent and Monica Conyers, was removed from the ballot in May, John Conyers III was removed from the ballot in May after his cousin, state Sen. Ian Conyers (D), challenged the validity of his cousin’s nominating petition signatures. After several court battles, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld that decision Tuesday. Conyers Jr. initially wanted his nephew, Ian Conyers, to replace him. But Monica encouraged him to endorse Conyers III instead. Other leading candidates in the majority-minority district not named Conyers include former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D), Westland Mayor Bill Wild (D), and Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones. 2016 Democratic nominee for AZ-02 seeks to knock chief rival off ballot Former state legislator Matt Heinz—who won the party’s nomination for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District in 2016—is seeking to knock his chief rival, former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D), off the ballot. Heinz is funding a legal challenge to nullify Kirkpatrick’s nominating petitions, arguing she falsely listed two Tucson addresses as her residence when she lives in Phoenix. Kirkpatrick, who previously represented the neighboring 1st Congressional District, has raised more than $1 million, the highest total in the eight candidate field. The 2nd Congressional District is a swing seat and a pickup opportunity for Democrats. In 2014, incumbent Rep. Martha McSally (R) was declared the winner after a mandatory recount resulted in her winning by 0.1 percent.

Special guest analysis: Trump returns to Minnesota Barry Casselman has covered national politics and public policy issues since 1972. We invited him to share an update on Minnesota Congressional primaries. Click here for more from his blog, The Prairie Editor. President Donald Trump will return to Minnesota, a state he almost won, when he comes to Duluth next week. He will be campaigning for likely Republican nominee Pete Stauber, who is rated the favorite to win the open 8th Congressional District seat now held by Democrat (DFL) Congressman Rick Nolan who is retiring. Traditionally a heavily DFL district, President Trump carried the district by double digits in 2016. The popular Nolan has no natural successor, and four relatively unknown DFL candidates are competing in the upcoming August primary for their party nomination. This race is thought to be the most likely GOP congressional seat pick-up in the nation with Stauber, a strong supporter of the president, turning out so far to be a tireless campaigner. A late, possibly complicating development was the last-minute entrance into the governor’s race by the state’s attorney general, Lori Swanson. She chose Nolan as her lieutenant governor running mate, and should they win the August primary, Nolan will appear on the statewide November ballot, including in the 8th district.

Candidate survey reply of the week Ballotpedia is surveying candidates ahead of the primary and general elections. Are you a candidate for public office? Complete a survey, and you may be featured here. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? “My first job was as a paperboy in the City of Philadelphia at age 13. I had three different paper routes and needed to work as we had a family of 7 with 5 children.” - Steve Worton, candidate for Maryland’s 1st Congressional District Read all of Steve Worton’s responses →

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Ervin suspends Maryland gubernatorial campaign, endorses Baker Valerie Ervin (D) suspended her bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination Tuesday and endorsed Montgomery County Executive Rushern Baker (D). Ervin joined the race in May following the death of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz (D), who had picked Ervin as his running mate. Ervin was not permitted access to the $1.4 million reportedly in Kamenetz's campaign account. A lawsuit Ervin filed demanding the state Board of Elections print new ballots featuring Ervin's name rather than using the existing ballots featuring Kamenetz was rejected June 4. Eight candidates are in June 26 primary, which is open only to registered Democrats. Hawaii's largest union endorses Hanabusa The Hawaii Government Employees Association endorsed Rep. Colleen Hanabusa's (D) challenge to Gov. David Ige (D) in the Aug. 11 primary. The union represents more than 42,000 members and is the largest in the state. Hanabusa also has the backing of the Hawaii Carpenters Union and the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers. Ige is backed by the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Democrats control 14 state legislatures heading into the November 2018 midterms. Democrats lost 968 state legislative seats during the Obama presidency. This chart showsthe number of candidates running, incumbents retiring, primary challenges to incumbents, and total primaries for Democrats in 2018 compared to the same point in the 2016 elections based on the states where filing deadlines have passed. Takeaways: In Alabama*, Arkansas, California***, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland*, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico**, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina**, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington***, and West Virginia, where candidate lists are now final, the number of Democratic candidates running has increased 25.8 percent. The number of incumbents retiring has decreased 2.9 percent. The number of Democratic incumbents facing challenges has increased 27.4 percent and the number of Democratic primaries has increased 59.6 percent. *Did not hold state legislative elections in 2016 **Not holding state Senate elections in 2018 ***Holds top-two primaries instead of Democratic and Republican primaries More Democratic incumbents are being challenged, and losing, in 2018 Primary challengers are defeating more incumbent state legislators this year than in past election cycles. And there could be more losses to come. In the 22 states that have held primaries so far, 25 Democratic state legislative incumbents have been defeated -- well ahead of the 15 incumbent losses at this same point in 2016, and the 22 primary losses in 2014.* Runoffs in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and South Carolina later this summer may add to the 2018 total. The rising number of incumbent losses mirrors the rise in the number of incumbents facing challenges, which are up 27.4 percent compared to 2016. Fewer incumbents are voluntarily leaving office this year, with 2.9 percent fewer retirements than in 2016. *Alabama held elections in 2018 and 2014, but not 2016. Progressive critics of Massachusetts House speaker to challenge his allies Longtime Massachusetts lawmakers allied with state House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D) are facing progressives challengers in the Sept. 4 primaries. Although DeLeo faces no opponent, three members of his leadership team--Ways and Means Chairman Jeffrey Sanchez, Assistant Vice Chairwoman Angela Malia, and Majority Whip Byron Rushing-- do. Their challengers say the current leadership is too conservative for a state Legislature dominated by Democrats. According to the Bay State Banner, DeLeo “regularly opposes progressive reforms and new taxes.” Progressives have also pointed to his relationship with Gov. Charlie Baker (R) as proof that he is not an ideological fit for the party. DeLeo reportedly has an “aversion to conflict,” and prefers “consensus” approach to policy.

A weekly feature on an influencer shaping the direction of the party. Progressive Change Campaign Committee “We looked for candidates who’d use their platforms to turn states into models of progressive government...During a primary, everyone says they’re progressive — which, to be honest, is kind of a problem.” -Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Stephanie Taylor The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) has made several endorsements ahead of Democratic gubernatorial primaries. The group endorsed Stacey Abrams, who won Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, and is also backing Cynthia Nixon in New York, David Garcia in Arizona, Andrew Gillum in Florida, and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. The group has been involved in select congressional primaries as well, where it has taken on candidates endorsed by the moderate New Democratic Coalition (NDC). In California’s 45th District, the group ran digital ads against NDC-endorsed David Min. The ads called Min a “bad Dem” because he opposed universal health care. PCCC co-founder Adam Green said the ads were part of a "larger campaign to make the New Dem brand radioactive and make sure politicians don’t unwittingly sign up to be a tool of big insurance and Wall Street banks.” According to its website, the PCCC “engages in electoral work and issue advocacy work on democracy issues and for economic populist priorities.” The group’s issues include expanding Social Security, debt-free college, Medicare for All, and paid family leave.

What we're reading Poll: Democrats lead GOP by 6 on generic House ballot The Hill Democratic women win big in key Virginia House primaries CNN Analysis: The House Blue Wave Is Alive and Well Roll Call  U.S. Democrats fight for their future in tough statehouse races Reuters

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OPEN DEBATES, VOTE FOR THE QUESTIONS ASKED IN THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE 9 OKT 16

OPEN DEBATES. This is a non-partisan organization open to everyone to submit questions to be asked to the presidential candidates at the next debate, a town hall forum, moderated by ABC and CNN on 9 OKT 16. THERE IS ONE RULE,  No naming candidates. Both candidates must be able to answer. You must register to submit a question or vote on a proposed question, those with the most votes will be considered by the debate moderators. Click on the Open Debates link above to submit a question and / or to vote for a question. MANY organizations of the political left and right, environmental, religious, social activism, human rights, humanitarian, civil rights and civil liberties to list a few, are also encouraging their members and supporters to submit and / or vote on questions. Their links still require you to register with Open Debates to do so. IF you are passionate about this election, your candidate and the future of America you should go to the Open Debates website or respond to e mails from organizations you belong to or support and submit a question and / or vote on questions said organization is supporting because the reflect concerns about their agenda. REMEMBER, Democracy is not a  spectator sport! AND don't forget to make sure you are registered to vote, click here. 
Click HERE to see my question (just submitted 1 OKT 16) and vote for it if you want.

Open Debate Coalition

We are a coalition of people and organizations from across the ideological spectrum urging that political debates be made more “of the people” by bringing them fully into the Internet age.

Specifically, we endorse this Open Debate principle: The public should be empowered to conceive and select debate questions – so that questions addressed by candidates represent the will of the people.

This is not a matter of right versus left, but new versus old. Participatory democracy is a driving principle of the open Internet. The best ideas rise to the top, and the wisdom of crowds prevails.

Moderators can choose from among the top questions proposed and voted on by the public – and have discretion to ask follow-up questions. Many formats can be experimented with, some typical and others so innovative they have yet to be conceived.

As voter participation declines, voter-driven Open Debates that embrace the Internet’s bottom-up ethos could breathe fresh air into our democracy – and attract more young people to participate.

The members of the Open Debate Coalition don’t agree on every issue. But we agree that by bringing together the power of the Internet with the voices of voters, we can ensure that debates are truly “of the people.” We urge candidates, political parties, the media, and debate hosts to work with us and the public to transform our democracy through Open Debates. This represents the future of democracy, and we can make great strides together in the 2016 election.

Signed,

Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor (Co-Founders, Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Progressive Change Institute)

Grover Norquist (Founder, Americans for Tax Reform)

Jimmy Wales (Co-Founder, Wikipedia)

Craig Newmark (Founder, craigslist)

Cindy Cohn (Executive Director, Electronic Frontier Foundation)

Chris Kelly (Former Chief Privacy Officer, Facebook; Founder, Kelly Investments; Chair, Organizer Inc.)

Terry O’Neill (President, National Organization for Women)

Ralph Reed (Founder & Chairman, Faith & Freedom Coalition)

Mindy Finn (Former Digital Strategy Director, Mitt Romney; Former Senior Digital Advisor, RNC; Founder, Empowered Women)

Tim O’Reilly (Founder, O’Reilly Media)

Rashad Robinson (Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org)

Adam Brandon (President & CEO, FreedomWorks)

Paul Rieckhoff (Executive Director, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America)

Michael Turk (Former eCampaign Director, Republican National Committee and Bush/Cheney '04)

Anna Galland and Ilya Sheyman (Executive Directors, MoveOn.org Civic and Political Action)

Ilyse Hogue (President, NARAL Pro-Choice America)

Shepard Fairey (Artist known for iconic Obama “Hope” poster)

Heather McGhee (President, Demos)

Albert Jacquez (Deputy Executive Director, National Council of La Raza Action Fund)

Jon Henke (Former New Media Director, U.S. Senate Republicans and Fred Thompson for President; Strategic Director, TechFreedom)

Cenk Uygur (Host, The Young Turks)

Nita Chaudhary (Co-Executive Director, UltraViolet)

Ed Martin (President, Eagle Forum)

Ben Rattray (Founder and CEO, Change.org)

Chris Shelton (President, Communications Workers of America)

Michael Brune (Executive Director, Sierra Club)

Markos Moulitsas (Founder, DailyKos)

Glenn Reynolds (Founder, Instapundit)

Joichi Ito (Director, MIT Media Lab)

Matt Nelson (Executive Director, Presente)

Louis Elrod (President, Young Democrats of America)

Gene Karpinski (President, League of Conservation Voters)

Cory Doctorow (Author, blogger, journalist)

David Moore (Executive Director, AskThem.io, Participatory Politics Foundation)

Ethan Zuckerman (Director, MIT Center for Civic Media)

Jared Friedman (Founder, Scribd; Partner, Y Combinator)

Marvin Ammori (Lawyer, Technology Strategist)

Micah Sifry and Andrew Rasiej (Co-Founders, Personal Democracy Media, Civic Hall)

Jim Dean (Chair, Democracy for America)

May Boeve (Executive Director, 350 Action)

Jose Antonio Vargas (CEO, Define American)

Roy Beck (President, NumbersUSA)

Jeremy Ben-Ami (President, J Street)

Joseph Bast (President & CEO, The Heartland Institute)

Alex Lawson (Executive Director, Social Security Works)

Alexandra Flores-Quilty (President, United States Student Association)

Christopher Long (President, Intercollegiate Studies Institute)

Ana María Archila (Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy Action)

Heather Hargreaves (Vice President, NextGen Climate)

Greenpeace

David Segal (Executive Director, Demand Progress and Rootstrikers)

Ashley Thorne & Peter Wood (President & Executive Director, National Association of Scholars)

Kenneth Roth (Executive Director, Human Rights Watch)

Murshed Zaheed (Political Director, CREDO Action)

Rea Carey (Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund)

Crowdpac

Robert Greenwald (Founder, Brave New Films)

Marissa Brown (Executive Director, Democracy Initiative)

Karen Hobert Flynn (President, Common Cause)

Dennis M. Kelleher (President and CEO, Better Markets)

Mark Riddle (President, New Leaders Council)

Robert Weissman (President, Public Citizen)

Jodi Jacobson (President and Editor-in-Chief, Rewire)

David Donnelly (President and CEO, Every Voice)

Nick Nyhart (President and CEO, Every Voice Center)

Mary Rickles and Eric Thut (Communications Director and Interim Executive Director, Netroots Nation)

Robyn Thomas (Executive Director, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence)

Dean Baker (Co-Founder, Center for Economic and Policy Research)

Stosh Cotler (CEO, Bend the Arc Jewish Action)

Deepak Pateriya (Executive Director, Center for Community Change Action)

Rhea Suh (President, NRDC Action Fund)

Akshat Tewary (President, Occupy the SEC)

Arianna Huffington is also a member of the Open Debate Coalition.

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