Williamsport, Pa. — The Pa. Supreme Court has revived a years-long fight over access to Lycoming County's 2020 election ballot records, ordering a lower court to take a second look at a case brought by Woodward Township Supervisor Jeff Stroehmann.
In a July 27 order, the state's high court granted Stroehmann's petition for allowance of appeal, vacated a Commonwealth Court ruling that had sided with Lycoming County Voter Services, and sent the case back to Commonwealth Court for reconsideration.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 4@FCEVD @?6\A286 @C56C 5:C64ED E96 =@H6C 4@FCE E@ C64@?D:56C E96 >2EE6C Q:? =:89E @7Q E96 !2] $FAC6>6 r@FCEVD @H? pAC:= ag 564:D:@? :? 2 C6=2E65 42D6[ w@?6J G] {J4@>:?8 r@F?EJ ~77:46CD @7 '@E6C $6CG:46D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 yF=J a_ac r@>>@?H62=E9 r@FCE CF=:?8 ?@H 36:?8 C64@?D:56C65 FA96=5 2 |2J a_ab {J4@>:?8 r@F?EJ r@FCE @7 r@>>@? !=62D @C56C E92E 56?:65 $EC@69>2?? 2446DD E@ 46CE2:? a_a_ 6=64E:@? 32==@E C64@C5D]Â k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmpE E96 E:>6[ E96 DE2E6 4@FCE 7@F?5 E96 C64@C5D — 42DE G@E6 C64@C5D Wr'#DX 86?6C2E65 3J E96 4@F?EJVD @AE:42= D42??6CD 2?5 E23F=2E@CD — 76== F?56C 2? 6=64E:@? 4@56 6I6>AE:@? 7@C E96 Q4@?E6?ED @7 32==@E 3@I6D 2?5 G@E:?8 >249:?6D[Q 2?5 H6C6 ?@E DF3;64E E@ 5:D4=@DFC6 F?56C C:89E\E@\<?@H =2H]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%92E C62D@?:?8 ?@ =@?86C 9@=5D FA] x? w@?6J[ 2 42D6 :? H9:49 $EC@69>2?? :?E6CG6?65 2=@?8D:56 DE2E6 #6A] y@6 w2>>[ #\gc[ 2?5 {J4@>:?8 r@F?EJ #6AF3=:42? r@>>:EE66 r92:C>2? s@?2=5 !6E6CD[ E96 DE2E6 $FAC6>6 r@FCE CF=65 e\_ E92E r'#D 2C6 ?@E 6I6>AE 7C@> AF3=:4 5:D4=@DFC6]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm(C:E:?8 7@C E96 >2;@C:EJ[ yFDE:46 s2?:6= |4r2776CJ 96=5 E92E {J4@>:?8 r@F?EJVD E23F=2E@CD — E96 6BF:A>6?E E92E 86?6C2E6D r'#D — 5@ ?@E >66E E96 =682= 567:?:E:@? @7 QG@E:?8 >249:?6DQ F?56C E96 t=64E:@? r@56[ 2?5 E92E r'#D 2C6 :?DE625 5:D4=@D23=6 QC6A@CED 2?5 @E96C 5@4F>6?ED 2?5 C64@C5DQ :? E96 4@F?EJVD 4FDE@5J] %96 4@FCE 5:5 ?@E6 E92E 2?J 5:D4=@DFC6 H@F=5 AC@4665 F?56C E96 t=64E:@? r@56VD @H? 2446DD AC@465FC6D C2E96C E92? E96 #%z{]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm(:E9 r@>>@?H62=E9 r@FCEVD F?56C=J:?8 C62D@?:?8 G242E65[ $EC@69>2??VD 42D6 ?@H C6EFC?D E@ E92E 4@FCE E@ 36 C64@?D:56C65 F?56C E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCEVD ?6H AC64656?E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm{J4@>:?8 r@F?EJ '@E6C $6CG:46D s:C64E@C u@CC6DE {69>2? 5:5 ?@E :>>65:2E6=J C6DA@?5 E@ C6BF6DED 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am
k9b 5:ClQ=ECQmp J62CD\=@?8 AFCDF:Ek^9bm
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$EC@69>2??VD AFD9 7@C 2446DD E@ {J4@>:?8 r@F?EJVD a_a_ 32==@E 52E2 EC246D 324< E@ E96 #%z{ C6BF6DE 96 7:=65 H:E9 '@E6C $6CG:46D D9@CE=J 27E6C E96 6=64E:@?[ H9:49 E96 @77:46 56?:65]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmw6 AFCDF65 E96 56?:2= E9C@F89 E96 4@F?EJ 4@FCE DJDE6> 7@C >@C6 E92? E9C66 J62CD 367@C6 r@>>@?H62=E9 r@FCEVD a_ac CF=:?8 282:?DE 9:> — 2 CF=:?8 E92E EC24<65 2 ?62C=J :56?E:42= 564:D:@? E96 D2>6 4@FCE C624965 :? w62E96C w@?6JVD D6A2C2E6 42D6 >@?E9D 62C=:6C]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmu@C >@C6 E92? 92=7 2 564256[ $EC@69>2?? 92D 366? E96 C68:@?’D 7246 7@C 56?J:?8 E96 C6DF=ED @7 E96 a_a_ 6=64E:@?[ 92G:?8 366? :?E6CG:6H65 3J ?2E:@?2= AF3=:42E:@?D 23@FE 9:D 6IA6C:6?46 2E E96 &]$] r2A:E@= @? y2?] e[ a_a`] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmq67@C6 E92E[ :? }@G6>36C a_a_[ 96 H2D 2 >6>36C @7 2 8C@FA @7 {J4@>:?8 r@F?EJ !2EC:@ED E92E 56A2CE65 (:==:2>DA@CE @? 492CE6C65 3FD6D 3@F?5 7@C (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ E@ DFAA@CE !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD 4@?E6DE65\6=64E:@? 4=2:>D]Â k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmQ(6 H2?E E@ 86E 5@H? 2?5 D9@H @FC 6?E9FD:2D> E@H2C5 >2<:?8 DFC6 E9:D H2D 2? 9@?6DE 2?5 72:C 6=64E:@?[Q $EC@69>2?? D2:5 2E E96 E:>6] Q(6 2C6 E2<:?8 E96 C2==J E@ E96 AC6D:56?E :?DE625 @7 E96 AC6D:56?E E2<:?8 E96 C2==J E@ FD]Qk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%92E EC:A 42>6 C@F89=J EH@ >@?E9D 367@C6 $EC@69>2?? EC2G6=65 E@ (2D9:?8E@? 282:? 7@C E96 C2==:6D E92E 3C624965 E96 42A:E@= 3F:=5:?8[ D:?46 D2J:?8 96 5@6D ?@E C68C6E 2EE6?5:?8]Â k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmQx 5@?VE 766= E92E x 5:5 2?JE9:?8 HC@?8[Q $EC@69>2?? E@=5 }!# 27E6CH2C5] Qx ;FDE 766= E92E x H2D G@42=:K:?8 >@C6[ 2?5 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 H6C6]Qk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmw2>> 2?5 !6E6CD — $EC@69>2??VD 4@\:?E6CG6?@CD :? E96 w@?6J =:E:82E:@? — 92G6 2=D@ 366? G:D:3=6 2==:6D @7 9:D :? @E96C D6EE:?8D] q@E9 2AA62C65 2=@?8D:56 $EC@69>2?? 2E 2 $6AE6>36C a_ad G:8:= 7@C 4@?D6CG2E:G6 4@>>6?E2E@C r92C=:6 z:C< 9@DE65 3J {:36CEJ r9FC49 :? (:==:2>DA@CE[ H96C6 w2>> 255C6DD65 E96 4C@H5 2?5 $EC@69>2?? 4@\9@DE65 E96 6G6?E H:E9 E96 49FC49VD A2DE@CD]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 42D6 H:== ?@H AC@4665 367@C6 r@>>@?H62=E9 r@FCE[ H9:49 92D ?@E J6E D4965F=65 7FCE96C AC@4665:?8D]k^Am
