The department confirmed with Fox News Digital on Friday that they had been in communication with Lancaster County since last week regarding the issue.

The suspicious forms were submitted in two separate batches just before the deadline, raising immediate red flags for the Board of Elections. "Suspected fraudulent voter registration forms were dropped off at the Board of Elections Office in two batches," the Board stated on Friday.

Local law enforcement, including the District Attorney’s office, along with the Lancaster County Board of Elections, are now meticulously reviewing the flagged applications. Election officials first noticed the irregularities during routine checks while entering the applications into Pennsylvania's database, prompting a swift notification to law enforcement officials.

Several indicators triggered the suspicion: many forms contained false names, similar handwriting, or unverifiable and incorrect identifying information. These anomalies led county election authorities to promptly report the issue to both the Pennsylvania Department of State and the state's attorney general's office, resulting in the initiation of a criminal investigation.

During a press conference on Friday, Lancaster County officials emphasized that the fraudulent attempts were identified and contained quickly, demonstrating the effectiveness of the election system. Commissioner Ray D'Agostino, a Republican who leads the county election board, reassured the public, stating, "The fact of the matter is, we've contained this. This is not right. It's illegal. It's immoral. And we found it, and we're going to take care of it." He added that residents of Lancaster County could remain confident in the integrity of their local elections.

The Pennsylvania Department of State also praised the diligence of Lancaster County officials. They highlighted that the discovery underscores the numerous safeguards in place to protect election integrity, bolstering confidence that the upcoming November election will be secure, fair, and transparent.