Pennsylvania Lackawanna County Mail-In Ballot Quality-Control Procedures Challenge

A lawsuit challenging Lackawanna County’s mail-in ballot quality-control procedures and their administration during the 2025 primary election.

Background

A Pennsylvania voter from Scranton filed a lawsuit against the Lackawanna County Board of Elections, the Lackawanna County Department of Elections, and Elizabeth Hopkins, the county’s director of elections and voter registration, alleging that election officials unlawfully disenfranchised him during the 2025 primary election. According to the complaint, county election officials admitted to mailing incorrect absentee and mail-in ballots to nearly 550 Scranton voters ahead of the primary, while voters in other municipalities in Lackawanna County received the correct ballots. The plaintiff alleges that despite this acknowledged error, Hopkins and her staff failed to provide him with a correct ballot in time for him to cast a vote in the May primary. He argues that the county’s actions violated his constitutional right to vote under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The lawsuit seeks an order barring county election officials from denying his right to vote in future elections and requiring the adoption of uniform standards to ensure all registered voters can reliably vote by mail.

Why It Matters

The lawsuit adds to ongoing Republican criticism of election administration in Pennsylvania, particularly regarding absentee and mail-in voting procedures. 

Latest Updates

• Dec. 29, 2025: Plaintiff filed his complaint.