The Justice Department mailed letters to every state this week warning that chief election officials could be criminally prosecuted if they knowingly permit non‑citizens to vote. Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt replied that the state will not change any policies or practices in response.
Schmidt emphasized that local election officials, not the state agency, are responsible for maintaining voter rolls and that his department already flags suspected fraud to state and federal law‑enforcement partners. He pointed to a 2025 state report showing more than 400,000 voter‑roll notifications and over 300,000 registration cancellations, including 120 ineligible voters, underscoring ongoing efforts to keep the rolls accurate.
The response arrives amid a broader legal battle with the DOJ, which has sued Pennsylvania for access to voter‑roll data and recently lost a federal court bid that the administration is appealing. Governor Josh Shapiro has also joined a coalition of states challenging a Trump‑era executive order on mail voting. The continued friction highlights the tension between state election officials and the federal government over voting‑access rules.