Republican Lawmaker Questions Philadelphia Election
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican state House Speaker Sam Smith is suggesting the election in Philadelphia was rigged, but Democratic Sen. Vincent Hughes says Smith is sour because Republicans lost badly in Pennsylvania.
Smith said Wednesday it is "questionable" because he heard that more than 90 percent of voters cast ballots in 90 percent of Philadelphia's precincts.
Smith says he has no evidence of fraud. Besides, his math doesn't add up. Turnout in Philadelphia was just 60 percent with 97 percent of precincts reporting. That's below the statewide average of 65 percent and down from nearly 64 percent in 2008.
President Barack Obama won Philadelphia on his way to beating Republican Mitt Romney in Pennsylvania. A Democratic bastion, the state's largest city is a frequent target of Republicans who accuse it of voter fraud.
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