Politics

Shapiro says Pennsylvania is 'prepared' for voting challenges as November 3 nears

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • October 26, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

Editorial illustration: a governor speaking at a podium before a crowd in Pittsburgh

Editorial illustration — Press Pass USA

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says the state is prepared for challenges to its vote count after the November 3 election, telling public radio station WESA during a multicounty swing through western Pennsylvania on Saturday that he expects to be back in court defending the results.

“I'm deeply concerned because I've lived through Donald Trump now doing this for years and years and years,” Shapiro told WESA. “I fully expect we'll be back in court protecting the vote and protecting the people. ... We're also prepared should they try and deploy any federal troops into our communities.”

Shapiro pointed to recent federal moves he said show the pattern: a legal effort aimed at preemptively challenging the outcome of a U.S. Senate race in Alaska if the Republican candidate loses, a lawsuit against California seeking the removal of some 20,000 voters the administration says are not citizens, and earlier efforts involving the Postal Service and mail-in ballots.

But Pennsylvania's government is “incredibly prepared” for whatever the White House might seek to do, he said. “I want the good people of Pennsylvania to know that their right to vote will be protected and that we will accept the results and accept the will of the people … We have been preparing for this for more than a year, and we will protect people's access to the polling places.”

Shapiro, who is seeking re-election on November 3, made the remarks during a western Pennsylvania swing that included a Pittsburgh stop. State Sen. Jay Costa, who would lead a Democratic majority in the state Senate, acknowledged at the same gathering that the key swing races are concentrated in the eastern part of the state, but said volunteering for candidates elsewhere “means all the difference in the world.” In Pennsylvania, completed mail ballots must be received by the county election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.

Sources: 90.5 WESA (Oct 26, 2026).