Republican candidates Sean Parnell and Luke Negron, who are seeking election to Pennsylvania’s 17th and 18th Congressional Districts, respectively, filed a lawsuit Friday to force officials to allow poll watchers at satellite election offices in Allegheny County.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, lists as defendants the Allegheny County Board of Elections, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, and County Council members Sam DeMarco and Bethany Hallam.
Last month, the board of elections unanimously approved the opening of additional election offices as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the additional offices would create more secure and accessible sites to provide over-the-counter voting.
Prior to the vote Sept. 17, Mr. DeMarco and Ms. Hallam asked questions about the security of the satellite offices, specifically concerning the possibility of someone voting more than once by going to separate locations.
In response, elections officials and county Solicitor Andrew Szefi assured both members that records would be kept and updated of voters who had applied for or returned ballots, and that office workers would mark each individual’s record in real-time.
The lawsuit argues that the county is “preventing” Mr. Parnell and Mr. Negron the ability to have poll watchers at the satellite offices leading up to the Nov. 3 election.
The lawsuit contends that allowing poll watchers at other polling places and not the satellite offices violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
The lawsuit also noted that the elections board had to reissue ballots to about 30,000 ballots voters recently who had received incorrect ones.
Poll watchers at satellite offices, the lawsuit argues, would ensure the “integrity of this year’s election.”
A county spokeswoman said officials do not comment on lawsuits or legal matters.
Lauren Lee: llee@post-gazette.com; @lauren_llee.
First Published: October 17, 2020, 2:57 a.m.
