Spotlight PA

Pa. Election 2024: When Voters Can Expect Primary Results

April 23, 2024 | Spotlight PA

On Pennsylvania’s April 23 primary ballot are races for president, U.S. House and Senate, attorney general, auditor general, treasurer, and more.

What Time Do Polls Open and Close Tuesday in Pa.? All the Information You Need for Primary Election Day 2024.

April 23, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Pennsylvanians will head to the polls on April 23 to vote in statewide races including attorney general, U.S. Senate, and more. Here’s everything they need to know.

The Vast Majority of Pa. Legislative Races Will Effectively Be Decided During the Primary

April 20, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Pennsylvania’s 2024 state House and Senate races will be decided by just a sliver of the voting population, thanks to closed primaries and non-competitive districts.

Missing Voting Machine Documents Raise Concern About Pa. County’s Testing Processes

April 19, 2024 | Spotlight PA

An investigation by Votebeat and Spotlight PA shows Northampton County had incomplete, disorganized, and inconsistent records from its 2023 voting machine testing. Is legislation needed?

Great Pa News Quiz: 2024 Primary Questions, January 6 Charges, and Biden Tariffs

April 19, 2024 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s quiz: Questions for 2024 primary voters, Biden’s steel stance, and the Pennsylvania origins of the U.S. Supreme Court’s January 6 case.

Pa. Primary Election 2024: How to Vote, Where to Vote, and Everything You Need to Know for April 23

April 18, 2024 | Spotlight PA

On April 23, Pennsylvanians will cast their votes for president, U.S. Senate, attorney general, and more.

Pa. Election 2024: What the Latest Fundraising Reports Tell Us About the Attorney General Race

April 17, 2024 | Spotlight PA

The five Democrats running to be Pennsylvania’s attorney general raised almost $1.2 million ahead of the April 23 primary, while the GOP establishment continued its support for one candidate.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024 Budget Pitch Draws on Lessons from Curdled Fairlife Bid

April 16, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Shapiro’s budget proposal invests in agricultural development and aims to address shortcomings that lost Pennsylvania a deal with a major milk brand looking to build a facility.

Elections 101: How Pa. Secures Mail Ballots, Prevents Fraud, and More

April 15, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Learn how Pennsylvania verifies the identities of people who want to vote by mail, ensures that ballots are secure, and more.

Penn State Increases Transparency into Misconduct Reports. Here’s What the Data Say.

April 13, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Bias and human resources issues were the most common misconduct reports Penn State received in January and February 2024. The data offer the first public look into the ethics office in years.

Great Pa News Quiz: Next Eclipse, 2024 Protest Votes, and a “Big Oil” Lawsuit

April 12, 2024 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s quiz: Earthquaker state, Pennsylvania’s next total eclipse, a rare climate change lawsuit, and Biden’s home-state protest vote.

Pa. Election 2024: A Guide to Vetting Primary Legislative Candidates

April 11, 2024 | Spotlight PA

The entire Pennsylvania House and half of the state Senate will be on the ballot in 2024. Learn more about how to research the candidates.

Voting Rights Groups Appeal Ruling That Directs Pa. to Reject Undated Mail Ballots

April 11, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Groups including the NAACP want the full 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rule on the issue. A decision is not expected before the April 23 primary.

Why Independents Can’t Vote in the 2024 Pa. Primary, and the Slow-Moving Push to Change That

April 10, 2024 | Spotlight PA

More than 1.3 million people in Pennsylvania can’t vote in the Democratic or Republican primaries on April 23. A campaign to change that is moving slowly.

INTERACTIVE: See Which Pa. Attorney General Candidate Is Right for You

April 10, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Use Spotlight PA’s interactive tool to see which candidates for attorney general most closely align with what matters to you.

Opioid Settlement Cash a Boon to Pa. Prosecutors but Public Defenders Are Being Turned Away

April 9, 2024 | Spotlight PA

County district attorneys are in line for millions of dollars, but under-resourced public defenders say they’ve been sidelined.

Partisan Primaries Are Fueling Our Political Dysfunction but They Can Be Fixed, New Book Says

April 9, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Join Spotlight PA at 6 p.m. April 19 for a live virtual interview with Nick Troiano, author of the new book, “The Primary Solution.”

Penn State Trustee Scolded for Making ‘Spectacle’ in Push to Name Football Field After Joe Paterno

April 6, 2024 | Spotlight PA

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Leaders of Penn State’s Board of Trustees recently admonished fellow Trustee Anthony Lubrano for creating a “public spectacle” and sharing “confidential information” related to his proposal to name the university’s football field after Joe Paterno.

Some Pa. Municipalities Are Turning to Fees to Cover Rising Stormwater Costs, but Pushback and a Lawsuit Threaten That Revenue

April 5, 2024 | Spotlight PA

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A small but growing subset of Pennsylvania municipalities are turning to stormwater fees as they face the burden of maintaining aging infrastructure that is being tested by climate change.

Great Pa News Quiz: Eclipse Voters, ‘Trump Airport,’ and Third-Party Hurdles

April 5, 2024 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s quiz: Eclipse impacts, ‘Trump International Airport,’ 2024 ballot access, and slow-moving social media crackdowns.

Pa. Election 2024: Everything You Need to Know About Requesting, Filling Out, and Returning Your Mail Ballot

April 4, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — On April 23, Democrats and Republicans in Pennsylvania will vote for their parties’ candidates for president, U.S. House and Senate, state row offices (attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer), and the legislature.

Why Pa.’s Efforts to Regulate Social Media Companies Have Failed So Far

April 3, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Despite bipartisan interest in setting ground rules for social media companies, Pennsylvania lawmakers are struggling to reach a consensus amid privacy and other concerns that don't neatly break down along party lines.

The Forward Party Wants to Be on Pa.’s 2024 General Election Ballot. It Must Overcome Several Hurdles.

April 3, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — If you want to get on the ballot as a third-party candidate in Pennsylvania, it helps to have a good lawyer.

‘Dark Money’ Groups Would Be Forced to Disclose How They Spend on Pa.’s Elections Under Advancing Bill

March 28, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania House is advancing modest campaign finance reforms during an election year that will likely see a torrent of hard-to-trace political spending flood the state.

GET THE RECORDS: How We’re Tracking More Than $100M in Opioid Settlement Money in Pa.

March 25, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Records obtained by Spotlight PA and WESA provide a first-of-its-kind, wide-ranging look at how Pennsylvania county officials spent or are planning to spend tens of millions of dollars they received in opioid settlement money.

Outside Group Hires Pricey Design Firm to Refurbish Pa. Governor’s Residence but Declines to Reveal Donors, Costs

March 25, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and the Bahamas. New York, Greenwich, and London.

Great Pa News Quiz: March Madness Moment, Biden’s U.S. Steel Warning, and a ‘Sanctuary’ City

March 22, 2024 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s quiz: President Joe Biden’s steel deal opposition, Pennsylvania’s March Madness moment, and a city’s “sanctuary” policy makes headlines.

5 Takeaways From Spotlight Pa’s Event on Education Transparency and Holding Public School Officials Accountable

March 21, 2024 | Spotlight PA

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — For Sunshine Week, an annual event that highlights the importance of government transparency, Spotlight PA hosted a discussion on openness and accountability in public education.

Pa. Election 2024: a Complete Guide to the Primary Candidates for Attorney General

March 20, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania voters will elect a new attorney general this November, but Democrats and Republicans first must pick their candidates this spring.

Pa. Election 2024: How Much the Democratic and Republican Attorney General Candidates Have Raised

March 20, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — In wide-open primary races for Pennsylvania attorney general, campaign finance reports show the Republican establishment is largely rallying around one candidate while donors are still spreading their cash out among the five Democratic hopefuls.

What a Proposed Performance-Based Funding Model Could Mean for Penn State, Other State-Related Universities

March 20, 2024 | Spotlight PA

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed creating a predictable funding formula and boosting state support by 5% for the state-related universities — Lincoln University, Penn State University, Temple University, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Gov. Josh Shapiro Wants to Spend $80M to Attack Pennsylvania’s Housing Crisis. Here’s How.

March 19, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Housing is often considered a local issue, but there is a growing consensus in Harrisburg that state-level action is necessary to combat Pennsylvania’s persistent shortages and rising costs.

Great PA News Quiz: Trump’s TikTok Flip-Flop, 2024 Pollbooks, Watchdog Election, and the State Police Motif

March 15, 2024 | Spotlight PA

In this week’s quiz: Trump on TikTok, 2024 technology, election contests, and a State of the Union shoutout.

Pennsylvania Is Flush With Surplus Cash, but It Still Faces a Looming Budget Problem

March 14, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to spend $3.5 billion of Pennsylvania’s surplus to stabilize transit systems, fund a court-mandated K-12 education overhaul, and expand the state’s economic development programs as part of his second budget proposal.

Pa. Local Governments Want Long-Term State Money for Cybersecurity as Federal Grant Fills the Gap

March 13, 2024 | Spotlight PA

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Local governments in Pennsylvania could soon have access to up to $25 million in federal funding to help them prepare for digital security threats facing critical infrastructure, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal.

Secrecy Still Pervades Pennsylvania State Government, but Spotlight Pa Is Fighting Back

March 12, 2024 | Spotlight PA

Politicians in Harrisburg come and go, and political majorities shift over time. But one enduring constant no matter who’s in power is a reflexive inclination to shield information from the very people who pay the bills — we, the taxpayers.

Pennsylvania Treasurer Candidates Spar Over Unclaimed Property Issue

March 11, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — An obscure policy issue is getting new attention in this year’s race for Pennsylvania treasurer as Democratic state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro of Erie seeks to draw a contrast with Republican incumbent Stacy Garrity.

Elections 101: What to Know About Electronic Pollbooks, Which Pa. Counties Use Them, and More

March 9, 2024 | Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. — As Pennsylvania prepares for the 2024 presidential election, voters may start hearing about a new piece of technology rolling out in more and more counties: electronic pollbooks.

What to Know About Shapiro’s Proposed $10.3M Agriculture Innovation Program

March 8, 2024 | Spotlight PA

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — An open-ended pitch by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to give millions of dollars to Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry to make it more innovative is stoking skepticism and hope among lawmakers and farmers.

Community Partner