An ongoing investigation spans multiple states, questioning the legitimacy of a great swath of voter registration forms unearthed in Pennsylvania; forms that trace back to an Arizona-based company, Field+Media Corps, run by Mesa councilman Francisco Heredia. According to ABC15, authorities in both Arizona and Pennsylvania are delving into accusations against the company for submitting filled-with-irregularities voter registration forms and mail-in ballot requests.
The plot thickens with hundreds of applications—some 2,500 according to ABC15—that were flagged in Lancaster County, PA; around 30 forms in Monroe County and an unspecified number in York County also being implicated raising flags all at the veiled shadow of the possibility for election fraud, although no widespread wrongdoing has been confirmed—a hallmark of the vigilance that democratic processes demand as Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt emphasized there was no evidence of widespread fraud according to ABC15 interviews.
Amidst allegations, the company's CEO and vice mayor of Mesa, Heredia's attempts for contact have proved futile, with the company's website down and Heredia unreachable reported ABC15. Pennsylvania's electoral system is set upon the world's stage, not just through the magnifying glass of their own districts, but under the broader scope of a national conversation concerning the sanctity and security of the voting infrastructure.
Turning to Arizona, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office confirmed an investigation was also brewing on its turf related to Field+Media Corps as reported by ABC15, while Councilman Heredia stated to Votebeat, amid both the Arizona and Pennsylvania investigations, his company holds a zero tolerance policy for fraudulent forms submission, reviewing each one, complying with states' laws that require all forms, suspect or not, to be submitted and ultimately benefitting the scrutiny in-built. into the system.
As the labyrinthian investigation unwinds, the Pennsylvania Department of State pointed out that the issues were with voter registration applications and not actual ballot applications nor returned ballots, affirming that the processes in place for flagging and investigating such discrepancies are proof that the current electoral safeguards are functioning, Geoff Morrow, Department of State spokesperson, lauded the efficacy of the built-in safeguards in a statement obtained by Votebeat.
