RNC Lawsuit Accuses Pennsylvania County of Starting Election Without Testing Voting Equipment
The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a lawsuit on Friday against election officials in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, accusing the county of starting their election process without fully testing voting equipment.
Per state law, each Pennsylvania county is required to conduct logic and accuracy testing before every election begins. That includes ensuring that all the election and voting equipment function as they should and can accurately count votes, as they’re supposed to be marked. Pennsylvania law requires every county board to certify to the secretary of state when logic and accuracy testing has been completed, at least 15 days before the election.
According to the lawsuit, the RNC claims that, as of Sept. 13, Montgomery County officials hadn’t yet certified their logic and accuracy testing of the county’s voting machines. On Sept. 16, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt (D) finalized the names that will appear on the November general election ballot, officially certifying the ballot and effectively kicking the election process into motion. And on Sept. 17, Montgomery County election officials began mailing out ballots. But the RNC claims that Montgomery County’s logic and accuracy testing wasn’t completed by that time, violating state law.
In a motion for a preliminary injunction, the RNC is asking a district court to halt Montgomery County from sending out any ballots until logic and accuracy testing is complete. They’re also asking the court to order the county to separate and hand count all ballots that were sent out before testing.
The Pennsylvania lawsuit is the latest in the RNC’s increased election litigation effort. According to Democracy Docket’s litigation database, the RNC is currently involved in 45 voting lawsuits, and filed 20 of them this cycle .