Trump supporters, not just from Bucks County but from across Pennsylvania, filled the meeting room and overfill rooms at Wednesday morning’s Bucks County Commissioners meeting to express their anger that Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, in a now viral moment, voted for the county to count defective mail ballots, even if it meant breaking the law.
“Precedent by a Supreme Court doesn’t matter anymore in this country, and people violate laws any time they want,” she said. “So, for me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention to it. There is nothing more important than counting votes, and I will take it all the way.”
She apologized for it, and previously stated that her comments have been misinterpreted. The ballots in question were part of the recount in the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Bob Casey and Republican nominee Dave McCormick, with McCormick leading by a little over 17,000 votes, according to the AP.
“I wanted to start by apologizing for the upset and the confusion that I have caused the citizens of Bucks County and the hard working employees of this county and my family and those who share my last name,” Marseglia said.
The sometimes unruly MAGA crowd, some of whom still believe the 2020 election was stolen, called out “liar” during Marseglia’s apology and held signs calling Marseglia and Harvie “tyrants.” Residents of Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Pike County clapped and cheered for speakers who called for the resignation and arrests of the Democratic Commissioners during the public comment portion of the meeting. One notable Pike County resident in the audience was Sean Moon, leader of what the Southern Poverty Law Center calls an “antigovernment Christian gun cult” – Rod of Iron Ministries.
READ: Rod of Iron Festival in Pennsylvania Still Pushing MAGA Conspiracies, Hate, and Extremism
On Monday, after Marseglia’s comments last week, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered election officials in Bucks and other counties to stop counting mail-in ballots marked with the wrong or missing date. In her apology Marseglia went on to explain her comments referred to provisional ballots which the state Supreme Court has yet to rule on. She said certain provisional ballots were not signed by a judge of election who also did not oversee that voters signed the outside of the envelope.
“I don’t think I’m alone in the frustrations I had that day,” she said. “I look forward to the court taking a stand on this, and quite frankly, that was about provisional ballots, and that court hearing hasn’t even been held yet.”
Despite Marseglia claiming her comments were “out of context,” there was a national uproar from Republicans even drawing comment from Gov. Josh Shapiro. Moreso, the commissioners and their families have been on the receiving end of death threats.
Marseglia said she and county officials have received threats and individuals have made “horrendous” comments to her family and others with the last name Marseglia.
“The Bucks County Democratic Committee unequivocally denounces threats that have been made against our county commissioners who serve on the Board of Elections and their family members as a result of decisions that the Board made as its meeting this week regarding the counting of provisional and mail-in ballots,” said Bucks County Democratic Party Chair State Sen. Steve Santarsiero on X. “There is no place in our state or country for threats of political violence, and they must stop.
Marseglia, who said she’s been involved in elections “virtually all her life,” clarified the County has followed the state Supreme Court’s decision. She said the County has not counted the mail-ballots the court ruled on and will not count them.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I care a lot about elections,” said Marseglia. “Like all of you and all Americans, I want this election and every election to be fair, to be honest, to be just, and one we can have confidence in.”
Conservative activist Scott Presler also made the trip to Bucks County. “I have a message — peacefully, peacefully — we are coming for your seat in 2027 if you don’t resign today.”
“Have at it,” responded Marseglia.
One resident claimed she will file a criminal complaint against the Commissioners and took issue with Harvie’s “slick moves.”
“Oh, and by the way, Gene [DiGirolamo] when [Marseglia and Harvie] are arrested we want an evening town hall style commissioners’ meeting,” she said before time ran out.
The Commissioners endured almost two hours of public comments from residents trying to fit their angry tirades into the allotted three minutes. The comments revolved around claiming the Commissioners broke the law in an effort to affect election results. Some comments made reference to the election being “stolen” in 2020.
GiGi Rosenberg, a resident of Lower Makefield, held a sign with a quote from Donald Trump saying “anybody that cheats is going to jail.”
“You stole [the election] in 2020, you’re trying to steal it in 2024 and we stopped you,” Rosenberg said. “You are all felons, you deserve to be in jail.”
The issue of counting incorrectly dated or signed ballots has been a point of contention since 2020 when Pennsylvania allowed voters to vote via mail-in ballot without an excuse.
The controversy is further fueled by the tight U.S. Senate race between Democrat incumbent Bob Casey and Republican Dave McCormick. McCormick leads Casey by aa very slim 0.2% margin, which is under the 0.5% difference that triggers an automatic runoff.
McCormick and the Republican National Convention filed a lawsuit targeting counties continuing to count mail-in ballots including Bucks County. McCormick filed a similar lawsuit in his 2022 primary against Mehmet Oz, but instead citing a federal court order stating election officials must count mail-in and absentee ballots.
