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Election board seeks state guidance on enforcement when ICE or police are near polling places
Summary
Board members asked what to do if ICE or other officers gather near polling places. Elections staff cited Pennsylvania law prohibiting officers within 100 feet of polling places, said only constables generally remove people, and recommended awaiting formal Department of State guidance.
Board members raised concerns about the possibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other law-enforcement personnel being near polling places and asked whether the county has guidance on how to respond.
An elections staff member cited Pennsylvania law, saying officers are not allowed within 100 feet of a polling place. "That's the law," the staff member said, adding, "If they do...we don't know," in reference to enforcement steps that could be taken locally. The staff member explained that only a constable typically has authority to remove someone in the immediate polling-place context and that calling 911 would dispatch either the Pennsylvania State Police or regional police, depending on jurisdiction.
The board agreed it would seek direction from the Department of State. "We need direction from the state on that, right?" one member said. Elections staff said no formal guidance had been issued to the county yet and that they would await state instruction before taking enforcement steps beyond informal conversations with individuals who appear to be in violation.
Members discussed the limitation that machines and staff cannot determine whether a presence constitutes intimidation unless law enforcement is within the statutory buffer. The discussion closed without a new local enforcement policy; the board asked staff to follow up with the Department of State and report back.
