Once again, state GOP assails ACORN, questions election fairness

UPDATE: 5:45 p.m.: Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortes has issued a response to the GOP's press conference, calling the allegations that county election boards can't handle the influx of voters "disappointing."

"The majority of the counties in Pennsylvania are controlled by Republican commissioners," Cortes said. "While the Republican Party might not have confidence in the counties' ability to administer a fair election, we do."

The secretary has previously blasted the state GOP's complaints as undermining "the very foundation of our democracy -- solely for political gain."

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HARRISBURG -- For the third time in two and a half weeks, the state Republican Party on Wednesday held a press conference to question the fairness of the upcoming election and unveil a new telephone hotline and website where voters can report registration fraud.

The GOP's complaints mirror a nationwide effort by Republicans to criticize the community organizing group ACORN for what they say are its efforts to steal the election for Barack Obama. Democrats have argued the GOP's complaints are sour grapes from a party about to be swept out of office.

In Pennsylvania the criticism of ACORN has become a verbal shoving match between the state GOP, led by Chairman Rob Gleason, and the Pennsylvania Department of State, which is led by two Democrats, Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortes and Gov. Ed Rendell.

Gleason threw the latest shove Wednesday, saying Cortes has been "negligent" in helping county bureaus deal with the massive influx of voter registration forms from his "favorite group," ACORN.

"I'm not confident in the result of this election," Gleason told reporters at a press conference in the Capitol rotunda.

The state GOP filed a lawsuit last week against Cortes and ACORN over the alleged voter fraud.

Gleason said the state GOP is poised to challenge votes on and after election day.

"We have a team in place," he said.