Democrats have filed a lawsuit in Erie County, Pennsylvania, alleging that election officials are not adequately addressing a vendor issue that has disrupted the delivery of mail-in ballots to potentially 20,000 voters. The lawsuit, filed in the Court of Commons Pleas, seeks to ensure that affected individuals are able to vote.
The lawsuit states that between 10,000 to 20,000 voters who requested mail-in ballots have not received or submitted them. Additionally, over 300 voters reportedly received two mail-in ballots, with one potentially not corresponding to the local races they are eligible to vote in.
Despite claims by local officials that they sent letters to those who received incorrect ballots, the election board has not shared this correspondence with Democrats. The Democrats argue that they have not seen evidence of such notices being sent.
Postal delays have also impacted the process, with at least 1,800 mail-in voters not receiving their ballots. US Postal Service records indicate that these ballots were never received from the vendor. Democrats believe the actual number of affected voters is higher, as more than 19,000 voters who applied to vote by mail have not returned their ballots.
The county clerk advised voters to email election officials to cancel their mail ballots for a replacement. However, the guidance provided only one day for voters to take this action. Democrats express concern that a replacement ballot may not be delivered in time, based on US Postal Service guidance.
