The Republican National Committee (RNC) is demanding answers after a supporter of former President Donald Trump was arrested at an early voting polling location in Delaware County, Pennsylvania for allegedly encouraging voters to stay in line and cast their votes.
“Do not get out of line,” the woman can be heard telling voters as she is escorted away in handcuffs by law enforcement.
A supporter of President Trump's was arrested today for encouraging people to stay in the early voting line and cast their ballots freely in Pennsylvania.
This follows reports from across the commonwealth that voters are being turned away in conservative areas.
This is voter… pic.twitter.com/ye4qTcfEn5
— Michael Whatley (@ChairmanWhatley) October 28, 2024
The incident was caught on camera by a man who can be heard in the video saying, “That’s crazy!”
Another woman in the video claimed the woman was arrested for “influencing voters,” to which the man filming said, “She is not influencing people. She is not at all.”
Michael Whatley (pictured here), chairman of the RNC, shared the video on X, saying, “A supporter of President Trump’s was arrested today for encouraging people to stay in the early voting line and cast their ballots freely in Pennsylvania.”
Whatley added, “This follows reports from across the commonwealth that voters are being turned away in conservative areas. This is voter suppression from the left. Do not let them turn you away. GO VOTE!”
The woman arrested by law enforcement has since been identified as Pennsylvania Republican Party State Committeewoman Val Biancaniello.
Biancaniello said she was arrested after encouraging voters to stay in line and vote because “the Democrats were discouraging voters from in person voting today in Delaware County.”
Stay in line and #Vote! They arrested me and I didn’t break any laws. I encouraged people to stay in line and vote because the Democrats were discouraging voters from in person voting today in Delaware County. In fact, the election worker told people in line to go to the… pic.twitter.com/pZoW8sA8Dy
— Val Biancaniello (@luckyvalpal) October 28, 2024
“In fact, the election worker told people in line to go to the Chester Heights satellite office because the line was shorter there. Do you know what happened when they got to the Chester Heights office to vote in person? They were told that they ran out of mib applications,” Biancaniello explained.
Biancaniello’s arrest came hours after the RNC sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State demanding immediate relief after reports across the state have emerged of “voters being told that computers are down, polling sites are closing early and not accepting any more voters, and that their ballots will not be counted.”
While it remains unclear what, if anything, Biancaniello was charged with, individuals who are guilty of “intimidating voters” can be fined up to $5,000 and face up to 2 years in prison under Pennsylvania state law.
Encouraging voters to “stay in line” has been a ploy commonly used among Democrats during recent elections.
Vice President Kamala Harris, for example, urged voters to “Stay in line” on Election Day in 2020 while Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also told voters to “stay in line” during the municipal primary election in 2021.
“If you’re waiting in line at 8 PM, stay in line. Your vote is your right. Thanks to all the PA voters who participated in our democracy today,” Shapiro said at the time.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
