Today is election day, and Berks County government faces its most important responsibility: administering free and fair elections for all citizens. Unfortunately, recent events have revealed a significant failure in this duty.
Last week, SpotlightPA uncovered a serious lapse by county officials—one that likely violates federal election law. The county failed to update its Spanish language website, leaving outdated information from the 2024 election available even after mail-in voting had begun. The update only occurred after a reporter intervened.
This is not the first time something like this has happened. In the article, SpotlightPA also reminded readers of similar issues found during the 2020 and 2021 elections, when the county did not adequately serve Spanish-speaking voters. Polling places with significant Spanish speaking populations were not adequately staffed with poll workers, leading to long lines, and instructions on approximately 17,000 mail-in ballots provided the wrong deadline in Spanish.
There are only two possible explanations for this failure, and neither is acceptable. One is incompetence: perhaps officials updated the English site but neglected the Spanish version. The other, more troubling possibility, is that this was a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise a significant voting bloc—a grave breach of public trust.
Regardless of the reason, Berks County voters deserve a full investigation and a clear explanation of what happened, including those who will be held accountable.
We live in a nation built on the foundation of free and fair elections. When local government fails in its most basic responsibility, it undermines public confidence in our electoral process.
Berks County Community Foundation
