County officials in New Mexico and Pennsylvania have refused to certify their primary election results in recent months. The commission for Otero County, New Mexico, did so in June. Its Republican members cited concerns regarding voting machines and “ghost ballots.” By not certifying the results, the commission paused the election process. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver forced the certification with a state Supreme Court order.
In Pennsylvania, Berks, Fayette and Lancaster counties did not process election results from May, 2022. By questioning ballots, these counties prevented the state from certifying results.
Local officials manage more than 10,000 election administration jurisdictions in the U.S. They process ballots, then pass them on to state officials.