Gov. Shapiro voted early but wouldn’t reveal his pick for attorney general

Gov. Josh Shapiro cast an early primary ballot Sunday to draw attention to a hotly contested attorney general race and the state’s early voting options.

The Democratic governor dropped off his ballot at a Montgomery County satellite voting location in Willow Grove, one day before the voter registration deadline for the April 23 primary, and highlighted the “safety and security” of Pennsylvania elections.

» READ MORE: The Pennsylvania Voters Guide to the 2024 primary election

“We want to have another free and fair, safe and secure election,” Shapiro said Sunday afternoon at the Montgomery County Annex. “People can vote however they want on election day, from the privacy of their own home, or here at a satellite office. And it’s safe and secure.”

Shapiro also made a “special note,” acknowledging that Pennsylvania’s Jewish community would be observing Passover on election day. The governor said his family had opted to vote early because they will be at their official residence in Harrisburg during the holiday.

The current attorney general, Michelle Henry, opted not to run for a full term, sparking a crowded primary that has drawn five Democrats and two Republicans all seeking to become the commonwealth’s top prosecutor.

Politically, the position is hotly sought after as it is often viewed as a stepping stone to higher statewide offices. Shapiro himself served as Pennsylvania attorney general from 2017 until his ascent to the governor’s mansion last year.

Democratic primary candidates include former chief Philadelphia public defender Keir Bradford-Grey, former two-term Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, former Bucks County Solicitor Joe Khan, Philadelphia State Rep. Jared Solomon, and Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.

On the GOP side, State Rep. Craig Williams will face off against former York County prosecutor David Sunday, who has scored a party endorsement.

Shapiro did not advocate for a particular candidate — the Democratic Party declined to endorse anyone in its five-way race. He instead urged voters to “go out and vote, make their voices heard, and strengthen democracy” through their participation.

But the governor’s promotion of early voting methods and utilization of a satellite polling place also seemed a calculated move as Pennsylvania — and its electoral system — are poised to play a pivotal and heavily scrutinized role in the 2024 presidential election.

The Keystone State has played a decisive role in recent presidential contests. Following the defeat of former Republican President Donald Trump in 2020, the state’s electoral systems — particularly mail ballots and satellite voting locations — were subject to numerous and largely unfounded voter fraud claims.

But interparty legal and legislative disputes over procedural rules, like the legal status of mail ballots with missing or incorrect dates, have persisted to this day. Democrats in Harrisburg have pushed for legislation allowing pre-canvassing — the counting of early votes prior to election day — and uniform rules for “curing” or correcting ballots that contain errors.

On Sunday, before heading to a block party at Penn State Abington, Shapiro also called for some of those additional electoral changes.

The governor sought to strike a bipartisan tone, stating that pre-canvassing and standardized ballot-curing rules were “long overdue” and beneficial to both Republicans and Democrats alike.