Pennsylvania ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging York County Election Observation Practices
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The ACLU of Pennsylvania and a voter filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging York County’s election observation practices.
The lawsuit alleges that the York County Board of Elections refused to allow nonpartisan observers to oversee a canvass — the official process of counting ballots — during the 2023 election cycle and argues that this violates Pennsylvania law.
The lawsuit claims that in November 2023, a nonpartisan volunteer attempted to oversee the official canvass of election results, but was not allowed to enter the room because they did not have a “watcher’s certificate.” Watchers’ certificates are given to partisan observers and representatives who want to oversee ballot counting. The lawsuit claims that the voter was not able to acquire a watcher’s certificate because they were a non-partisan volunteer.
The complaint argues that volunteers from nonpartisan organizations do not need a watcher’s certificate to observe the official canvass and asks the court to require York County to follow the law by conducting a public canvass for the 2024 primary and general elections.