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Tioga County rally calls for audit of 2020 election

MIKE REUTHER/Sun-Gazette Protesters call for an audit of Tioga County’s 2020 election results Friday at the county courthouse.

WELLSBORO — They shouted, chanted and waved flags to demonstrate unity as part of the movement calling for a 2020 election audit.

Dozens of people gathered outside the Tioga County Courthouse to show their support for a probe into the voting process that resulted in the defeat of President Donald Trump.

“We want a free and fair election,” Johnny Berguson, of Blossburg, one of the leaders of the group, told supporters from the steps of the courthouse.

His words brought chants of “Audit the Vote” from the crowd.

Berguson said people from both major political parties are suspicious of what transpired in the election.

“Reboot the voting system in Tioga County,” Barbara Gile, of Wellsboro, said.

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Fayettesville, has called for an audit of Tioga, York and Philadelphia counties, a process requiring the turning over of election machines and which officials from those counties have opposed.

Juanita Berguson said people are mad and need to know with certainty that the votes they cast were correctly counted.

She said there exists preliminary information that as many as 2,000 votes cast in Tioga County may have been fraudulent.

The voices of the pro-audit group were at times muzzled by the small gathering of anti-audit people at the rally.

“I don’t believe we need an audit,” Yolie Canales, of Wellsboro, said. “They have been terribly misled. We already had an audit. It was a free and fair election.”

Carrie Health, of Wellsboro, noted that President Trump received an overwhelming majority of the votes in Tioga County, whose voters are mostly Republican.

“I don’t know why they are protesting,” she said.

At one point, people were asked if they felt it had been a fair election.

“If they have nothing to hide, then why can’t we proceed with an investigation?” Karen DiSalvo, of Williamsport, said.

She said the protest was a show for transparency.

“There is overwhelming evidence of fraud,” she said.

Lindsey Ulmer, of Lycoming County, said people deserve to have an audit done.

“The system seems rigged,” she said.

“The courthouse belongs to we the people,” Berguson said. “And we people want an audit.”

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