PRESS RELEASE: RightCount Launches Pennsylvania Leadership Advisory Council to Rebuild & Sustain Trust in 2024 Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2024

RightCount Launches Pennsylvania Leadership Advisory Council to Rebuild & Sustain Trust in 2024 Elections

Harrisburg, PA: RightCount, an organization dedicated to rebuilding trust in Pennsylvania’s secure election system, today announced the launch of the organization’s State Leadership Committee. As Co-Chairs of RightCount’s Pennsylvania operations, former Governor Mark Schweiker and former Congressman Lou Barletta released a joint statement. 

“Pennsylvania has always played a critical role in determining the future of our nation. To preserve the foundation of our democracy, it’s essential that we work together to restore confidence in the electoral process. The Pennsylvania Leadership Advisory Council will be at the forefront of rebuilding trust in the election process and ensuring that every vote is counted with integrity and transparency,” said Barletta and Schweiker. 

“I’m immensely proud of my family’s record of service and the opportunity the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has afforded us to protect and exercise the right to vote. My father, my husband and I, and our children all served in the Navy. Each one of us has voted absentee with confidence that our vote will be counted accurately, and our voice will be heard. I’m proud to join with RightCount to help build trust in our election system,” said U.S. Navy Veteran Toni Chase, a member of the Leadership Advisory Council

RightCount’s Leadership Advisory Council in Pennsylvania:

Former Congressman Lous Barletta, RightCount Co-Chair
Luzerne County

Former Governor Mark Schweiker, RightCount Co-Chair
Bucks County

Toni Chase – U.S. Navy Veteran
Cumberland County

Bob Hackenberg – Chief Compliance Officer
Monroe County

Brian Haughton – Fire Department Lieutenant
Delaware County

Liz Cavanaugh – Realtor
Chester County

Christina Lackzo – Director of Operational Excellence
Chester County

Selena Ling – Small Business Owner
Cumberland County

Jim Mulligan – Attorney
Lackawanna County

Gina Suydam – Small Business Advocate
Wyoming County

Working together with Cygnal, RightCount conducted research into messengers and key reforms that are most effective in restoring trust and confidence in elections. Among Republican and Republican-leaning independent voters in Pennsylvania, our research found:

• Moderate to very high trust in public official and community leader messengers that are veterans (89%), firefighters (83%), local law enforcement (77%) and small business owners (76%).
• Nearly nine-in-ten (88%) are more confident in the accuracy of the election when they learn that state officials are required to use multi-state databases to check for duplicate voter registrations in multiple states.
• More than eight-in-ten (83%) are more confident in the accuracy of the election when they learn that all paper ballots are required to be stored in locked facilities to prevent tampering.
• Eight-in-ten (80%) are more confident in the accuracy of the election when they learn that no voting equipment is ever connected to the internet.

In addition to recruiting and organizing trusted messengers and sharing reforms that build trust in elections, RightCount will also mobilize community voices to support election officials in carrying out their sworn duties.

About RightCount Pennsylvania

RightCount is a 501(c)(3) entity that conducts research and educates fellow citizens around election integrity issues. To learn more about RightCount’s mission and the steps it is taking to protect the integrity of Pennsylvania’s 2024 general election, please visit https://www.rightcount.org/states/pennsylvania/. 

Contact: Vince Galko, vgalko@mercuryllc.com

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