ACLU sues Lancaster County commissioners to force return of mail-in ballot dropbox

The ACLU of Pennsylvania is asking a Lancaster County judge to temporarily reverse a recent decision by county commissioners to remove a ballot dropbox from the entrance of the county building.

The ACLU's challenge comes just one week before the May 17 primary election.

The ACLU filed the request for "temporary relief" in the Court of Common Pleas. It alleges Republican Commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray D'Agostino violated the state's Sunshine Act when they decided to remove the dropbox, which had been used by thousands of mail-in voters since 2020.

The lawsuit asks the court to order the dropbox's return "until and unless (the commissioners) hold a properly announced meeting to consider the issue."

"Transparency is a critical value in a functioning democracy," said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. "When the commissioners talked about removing the county's ballot drop box, county residents deserved the chance to weigh in on an important voting rights issue. Instead, the commissioners didn't bother to tell anyone what they were doing until the meeting was convened.

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