Conservatives blasted Pennsylvania’s Division of State this month for scheduling a system upkeep replace to its voter registration web site the identical day former President Trump returned to Butler, the place he survived an assassination try in July.
The operation would have taken the location offline for a number of hours throughout the identical time-frame the Trump marketing campaign anticipated to register voters. The division, nonetheless, moved the window of time for upkeep to later within the night time amid an early outcry.
“The PA State Division voter registration web site will likely be unavailable on Saturday, October fifth, the day that President Trump will likely be triumphantly returning to the location of the assassination try in Butler County, PA. W/ all eyes on PA, the location will likely be down. Coincidence?” GOP activist Scott Pressler posted to Instagram on Thursday.
Fox Information Digital reviewed archived information from the Pennsylvania Voter Registration web site and located that it issued a disclaimer to voters that the web site can be unavailable on Oct. 5 starting at 6 p.m.
“This web site will endure scheduled system upkeep and be unavailable Saturday, October 5 from 6 p.m. till 12 a.m. We thanks to your understanding.,” the Pennsylvania Voter Registration web site said on Oct. 1, an archived web page reviewed by Fox Information Digital exhibits.
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Former President Trump is assisted by U.S. Secret Service personnel after gunfire rang out throughout a marketing campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
Trump introduced on Sept. 25 that he would make a historic return to Butler on Oct. 5, months after he was shot within the aspect of the pinnacle by a would-be murderer on July 13. The Pennsylvania Voter Registration web site introduced its scheduled upkeep someday between Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, archived information for the location reviewed by Fox Digital exhibits.
Republican Nationwide Committee co-chair Lara Trump and Pressler sounded the alarm on the scheduled upkeep earlier this month, questioning the timing and slamming the transfer as election “interference.”
“Wow, they aren’t even attempting to cover their blatant interference – recognize you flagging, @scottpresler – @gop authorized is on it and formally requesting the ‘system upkeep’ is moved to a unique time,” Lara Trump posted to Fb on Thursday, accompanied by a screenshot of an Instagram put up from Pressler asking if the timing of the upkeep was only a “coincidence.”
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Archived data of the web site present that Pennsylvania officers up to date the web page on Oct. 3 – the identical day Pressler and Lara Trump publicly posted concerning the timing of the upkeep – to replicate that the location would endure upkeep at 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., as an alternative of 6 p.m. till midnight.
Trump was scheduled to take the stage in Butler at 5 p.m. Saturday, that means the location would have gone darkish as he rallied his base and inspired residents to register to vote.
Pressler joined Human Events’ Jack Posobiec concerning the matter final week, taking a victory lap that the time was modified to later within the night time, following the rally, however added he’s nonetheless not “100% blissful” with the timing of the schedule upkeep. Pressler famous that web site updates are sometimes scheduled for the lifeless of night time, when customers are much less seemingly to make use of the platform.
Former President Trump addresses the group at a rally on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, the place he survived an assassination try on July 13. (Matthew McDermott for Fox Information Digital)
“It was clear that the Pennsylvania Division of State was partaking in election interference, attempting to cease all of this nationwide consideration from translating into new voter registrations,” Pressler mentioned.
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Lara Trump additionally celebrated how the scheduled upkeep moved to later within the night time, sharing on Fb Thursday, “And identical to that, we received PA to maneuver it. Nice instance of what occurs when residents demand equity.”
Eric and Lara Trump arrive on stage for former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Matthew McDermott for Fox Information Digital)
When requested for remark concerning the upkeep and up to date backlash, the Pennsylvania Division of State informed Fox Information Digital that the upkeep was initially scheduled in September for the Oct. 5 date.
“The voter registration system upkeep on Oct. 5, 2024, was scheduled on Sept. 17, 2024. It was rescheduled to happen from 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 till 4 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, to accommodate county election officers who’re spending further weekend time to guarantee every of the 67 counties is prepared for Nov. 5, 2024,” the Division of State mentioned in remark.
The web site is working as of Sunday morning, and not consists of the disclaimer for a scheduled upkeep outage. Fox Information Digital didn’t doc the location shutting down for upkeep from Saturday night into Sunday morning, although screenshots of the location posted to social media present the location’s reported error page for maintenance.
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A evaluate of the Division of State’s social media exhibits the web site has beforehand shut down for scheduled upkeep at odd hours throughout the day, together with on June 29 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. the following day.
Folks wave indicators at former President Trump’s rally in Butler on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Matthew McDermott for Fox Information Digital)
The historic rally in Butler drew hundreds as Trump made a return to the identical grounds the place he was practically killed, in addition to brief remarks from tech billionaire Elon Musk who burdened the significance of registering to vote.
“I suppose it’s a very powerful election of our lifetime. That is no atypical election. The opposite aspect needs to remove your freedom of speech. They wish to take away your proper to bear arms… They wish to take away your proper to vote successfully,” Musk informed the group on Saturday.
Musk repeatedly inspired the crowds to get everybody of their social circles and past to register and vote come Election Day.
A big crowd waits for the arrival of former President Trump in Butler on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Matthew McDermott for Fox Information Digital)
“And truthfully, you wish to simply be a pest. Simply be a pest to everybody. , individuals on the road all over the place,” he mentioned.
“Struggle, struggle, struggle, vote, vote, vote,” Musk added, referring to how Trump shouted “struggle, struggle, struggle” to the crowds after he was shot within the ear in July.
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