In a significant legal challenge, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has filed a lawsuit against Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, accusing the county of distributing mail-in ballots without completing required pre-election testing. The lawsuit claims that the county failed to conduct logic and accuracy (L&A) testing before sending out ballots to voters on September 17.
According to Pennsylvania’s Election Code, counties must complete L&A testing to ensure that ballots, voting machines, and other equipment are functioning correctly. This testing helps detect any errors in ballot layout, machine configuration, and tabulation accuracy. The RNC argues that by distributing ballots before testing was completed, Montgomery County violated state law and jeopardized the integrity of the election.
Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija dismissed the lawsuit as baseless, stating that the county’s election system is secure and that the early distribution of ballots was in line with their efforts to ensure voter access. Makhija, who cast one of the first ballots, has encouraged voters to request mail-in ballots despite the legal dispute.
The RNC has demanded that Montgomery County immediately halt the distribution of all mail-in ballots and segregate any ballots that have already been mailed out. The lawsuit also calls for those ballots to be counted by hand if necessary to ensure their accuracy and legitimacy.
With the 2024 general election rapidly approaching, the outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for both local and national election integrity. Pennsylvania is a critical swing state, and any challenges to the voting process are likely to attract considerable attention from voters and political parties alike.
