AN overlooked group known for its aversion to voting in the swing state of Pennsylvania could unexpectedly hand Donald Trump the election.
The Amish – known for their hatred of electricity, love for raw milk, and dog breeding – have been galvanised to head to the polls and turn the battle ground red.
Pennsylvania is home to nearly 100,000 Amish people – mostly located in the counties next to Philadelphia.
The community has famously rejected most pillars of modern society, including cars, phones – and famously, voting.
The Amish, who traditionally live in isolation, have typically rejected the government in favor of God and religion.
But this seemed to change with the emergence of Trump and the national importance of Pennsylvania.
Their home state, and its 19 electoral college votes, has become one of seven swing states in 2024 that hold the future of the country in its hands.
Both Trump and Kamala Harris spent election eve holding rallies in Pennsylvania.
And Trump appeared on stage in Lancaster County on Sunday, where around half of the state’s Amish population lives.
This state and its large number of electoral college votes is key as it gives both Trump and Harris a pathway to the 270 votes needed to secure The White House.
For example, if Harris won Pennsylvania she would likely need just 25 votes to get the win.
If Trump’s camp took Pennsylvania, he would then need 32 electoral college votes if he secures the other states he is already expected to win.
The Mid-Atlantic state was a key battleground in 2020 as Joe Biden won it by just over 80,000 votes out of almost seven million.
2024 is set to be even tighter as pollsters are currently predicting a dead-even race in the state, according to Forbes.
Governor Josh Shapiro has even described Lancaster County as the “swingiest of all swing counties in the swingiest of all swing states”.
This means any number of votes could push the vote either way – and a resurgence of even a few of Pennsylvania’s 100,000 Amish community could spell bad news for The Democrats.
Amish-born Congressman Lloyd Smucker, who represents the district which includes Lancaster County, revealed how members of his community have been politically awakened in 2024.
Smucker told Fox News: “Four years ago, we probably had about 1,500 – 2,000 new Amish registrants and new Amish voters.
“I think we are going to see thousands more this cycle. I just base that on lots of conversations that I have had with the Amish, on meetings that we’ve had.”
The congressman suggested members of the sect believe Trump would align with their beliefs on religious liberty, isolationism, border control, and the economy.
Despite the Republican’s work to mobilize and get the Amish voting, one of their many customs could prevent this from happening.
Traditionally this sect has held weddings on Tuesdays in the Fall with hundreds of guests in attendance.
As there’s little to no farm work from October until March, they take advantage of the free time to have weddings – and they’re held on a Tuesday or Thursday due to the availability of bench wagons.
It means any soon-to-be married Amish couples, wedding guests, or bishops might be too busy to head to the polls.
But if they make it to the polls, another incentive for the Amish to vote Trump is the treatment of a local dairy farmer Amos Miller.
Miller’s farm was raided by state officials in January for selling unpasteurized milk.
He was banned from selling raw milk – which is a hugely popular practice for the Amish.
Congressman Smucker said the Miller case was just one example of the Amish’s pushback against officials.
He added: “They don’t want intrusion of government at all and there are plenty of examples where they’re being required to do things that they would rather not do.”
A conservative activist named Scott Presler has seemingly taken on the difficult task of getting the Amish to register to vote.
Despite the difficult mission, Presler has hit Pennsylvania’s roads and crowds to highlight the importance of this sect for The Republicans.
At a Pennsylvania rally, he echoed these Amish worries about milk and religion.
He said: “To our beautiful Amish in Lancaster and across the state we will protect your right to raw milk, your dairy, your farming, your school choice, your religious freedom, your ability to afford to have ten beautiful children per family.”
Despite his work for the sect, Presler himself was embroiled in a seemingly un-Amish sex scandal in 2016 and has stirred controversy for allegedly helping spread conspiracy theories, according to NBC News.
One of these was his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.
His controversies have also appeared to put the GOP off as the Republican National Committee confirmed on Tuesday that it would not hire the conservative personality.
This came after the RNC’s new co-chair, Lara Trump, said she was interested in employing Presler last week.
BRITS’ biggest food faux pas have been revealed, from stealing recipes, to double dipping.
One in six Brits admit to serving dinner guests food which has been dropped on the floor.
A poll, of 2,000 adults, found 28 per cent have tasted food directly from a spoon they’re cooking with – and then stuck it straight back into the pot.
While 28 per cent have knowingly served up food past its sell-by date and a third (32 per cent) have wiped down a bread knife and put it back, rather than washing it.
And 13 per cent have let a pet ‘clean up’ food or drink spillages.
The research was commissioned by kitchen appliance brand NEFF, as part of their Hidden Heroes campaign, which shines a light on the unsung moments in the kitchen that make hosting truly memorable.
Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, who is fronting the campaign, even confessed to ‘stealing’ his mum’s famous beef Bolognese, proving that even the best chefs borrow a trick or two from family.
Tom said: “I think it’s brilliant to see that so many of us share the same kitchen quirks and mishaps – whether it’s dropping food on the floor or ‘borrowing’ a family recipe.
“Cooking should be fun, and it’s those little imperfections that make it special.
“I’ve definitely had my fair share of disasters, and yes, I’ve been known to take credit for my mum’s beef Bolognese.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about creating great food and memories with the people you love, no matter how you get there.”
Interestingly, older Brits are more laid-back about their culinary slip-ups – with 60 per cent of over-65s saying they wouldn’t feel guilty about a mishap.
But 57 per cent of guilt-ridden Gen Zers would be left stewing over their mistakes.
The research also delved into where Brits have learned their best culinary tricks from, with 58 per cent having done so from relatives.
In fact, 45 per cent still rely on their family members to help with cooking and prepping food.
While respondents cherish hand-me-down dishes, 62 per cent love giving these recipes a personal twist.
One in ten young Brits (11 per cent) have even confessed to serving up a family recipe and passing it off as their own.
1. Leaving dishes in the sink overnight and washing them in the morning
2. Using the bread knife and wiping it down, as opposed to washing it
3. Cooking with food that’s past its sell-by date
4. Tasting food directly from the cooking spoon and then putting it back into the pot
5. Accidentally burning a dish and scraping off the burnt parts to make it look okay
6. Not tying your hair back when preparing a meal risking a hair falling in the food
7. Spilling something in the oven, and hoping it will burn away rather than clean it
8. Dropping a piece of food on the floor, quickly picking it up, and serving it to guests
9. Letting the dog/cat clean up spills on the kitchen floor, rather than getting the mop out
10. Using pre-made ingredients (e.g. ready-made pastry or mashed potato) and pretending you made them
11. Adding extra spices or chilli to a dish without warning guests who might not like or tolerate spicy food
12. Serving leftovers that are a bit too old and should have been thrown out
13. Using the same tongs or spatula for raw and cooked food, risking cross-contamination
14. Not checking for allergies in advance
15. Reheating a ready-made meal – and passing it off as your own
16. Telling dinner guests a recipe is your own when it’s really a friend or family member’s special recipe
17. Forgetting to check dishes are appropriate for vegan or vegetarian guests
18. Coughing or sneezing into a dish and not telling anyone
19. Using dirty plates or utensils, pretending they were clean
20. Telling dinner guests your recipe is an old family recipe when really you recently Googled it
And the secret recipe swapping doesn’t end there – as 43 per cent admit they’ve “stirred the pot” by tweaking a family recipe without telling anyone, fearing it could cause a recipe ruckus at the dinner table.
For Gen Z and Millennials, this pressure is even more intense, with 66 per cent worried that messing with a cherished dish could cause a full-blown family food feud.
Despite the potential kitchen chaos, adults aged up to 24 are leading the charge when it comes to hosting with 60 per cent enjoying cooking for guests.
However, 23 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll, would rather face job interviews (23 per cent), meeting the parents for the first time (22 per cent), or sit in a traffic jam (20 per cent) than cook an unfamiliar meal for company.
And when things go wrong in the kitchen, it seems that parents are still the ultimate culinary lifeline – with 33 per cent of Brits calling mum and dad for help in the middle of cooking chaos.