The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is taking legal action against the Erie County Board of Elections, citing concerns about the integrity of the mail-in voting process. Filed on Wednesday, the lawsuit alleges that the U.S. Postal Service has failed to account for approximately 1,800 ballots and that around 300 duplicate ballots were erroneously distributed to voters in the county.
According to the complaint, the party believes that between 10,000 and 20,000 voters who requested mail-in ballots have either not received them or failed to submit their votes. The Democratic Party argues that these issues could disenfranchise a substantial number of voters, prompting them to seek a court order that would require the county to release the names of those potentially affected and prepare provisional ballots.
Striking stats in the PA Democratic Party's new lawsuit against the Erie County Board of Elections.
It claims:
* The U.S. Post Office has been unable to account for ~1,800 ballots.
* Between ~10K to ~20K voters who requested mail-in ballots haven't received or submitted them. pic.twitter.com/5ZaFUNRhNl— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) October 30, 2024
The filing represents the first legal action taken by the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania ahead of the election. Erie County has historically been a bellwether, with the phrase “where Erie goes, so goes Pennsylvania” reflecting its political significance.
While representatives for the Democratic Party have not commented on the lawsuit, it coincides with a recent legal victory for the Trump campaign in Bucks County. In that case, the court ruled that voters who experienced long lines while trying to obtain their mail-in ballots would have until November 1 to secure them, responding to complaints about election officials potentially turning voters away.
Erie County officials have not yet responded to the Democratic Party’s allegations.
