Pedro Cortes

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.

With Pennsylvanians flocking to the polls for today's primary, election officials are reminding voters to have the proper documents with them. 

Anticipating high voter turnout, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Pedro A. Cortes, released a statement reminding voters that "[p]reparation is key when planning to vote," Cortes said. "With more than 218,923 new registrants since January and many more voters who have changed their addresses, it's important for Pennsylvanians who are voting for the first time in a precinct to bring approved identification."