YORK – The ACLU of PA has filed a lawsuit against York County over the county’s Board of Elections’ refusal to allow nonpartisan observers to witness the canvass of the vote during the 2023 election cycle. In November 2023, a longtime York resident arrived at the county’s official canvass of the ballots that had been mailed in or had been cast on Election Day. The deputy director of the county’s election office refused to allow the resident to enter the canvass area, incorrectly stating that the resident needed a “watcher’s certificate.” Watcher certificates are provided under PA election law so that political parties and candidates can observe vote canvasses. Residents unaffiliated with a party or a candidate do not need a watcher’s certificate to observe the computing of votes during an official canvass. The lawsuit alleges that York County’s refusal to admit public observers during its vote canvass is a violation of the PA Election Code, which mandates a public count of election results.
