After a polling error during the 2025 general election that affected 70,000 3rd party voters, West Chester law firm Fleck Eckert Klein McGarry was hired to complete the investigation into what went wrong, and the results were just released, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY.
Thousands of Chester County voters had to cast provisional ballots after they were omitted from the poll books, with polls remaining open well into the night. The election results were certified, and the investigation was finished by the end of December.
In the report released on Thursday, Fleck Eckert Klein McGarry cited numerous issues, but declared that there was “no evidence of intentional wrongdoing.” The cluster of issues involved staffing, inadequate safety nets, and lack of training.
“The Poll Book incident was not the result of a single isolated mistake, but rather simple human error occurring within a system characterized by inadequate training, insufficient safeguards, limited oversight, and structural staffing challenges,” writes the report.
The firm recommended solutions to the County, which included more training, formal documentations of voter registration, and more safeguards, among others. The Board of Elections corroborated with the report and recommendations, stating they fully plan to implement them.
A public meeting will be held on Jan. 27, moving to Feb. 3 in case of inclement weather.
Read more about the poll book error and see more about the report at WHYY.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on VISTA.Today in January 2026.
