Pennsylvania Court Drops Bombshell Ruling: Digital Images of Completed Absentee and Mail-In Ballots are Public Records

In a landmark decision, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that digital images of completed absentee and mail-in ballots are to be considered public records.

This pivotal ruling stems from a case involving appellant Michelle Previte, who sought to obtain electronic copies of these ballots from the 2020 General Election via Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL).

The case began when Previte submitted RTKL requests to the Erie County Board of Elections...