Full Breakdown
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Orders Release of 2020 Lycoming County Cast Vote Records
4/30/2026, 2:38:50 AM
Court Decision Allows Access to 2020 Lycoming Cast Vote Records
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously ordered Lycoming County to release digital copies of the 2020 cast vote records (CVRs) for every ballot. The request was filed by Heather Honey, DHS deputy assistant secretary for elections integrity and anti-voting activist.
Legal Background
Pennsylvania law permits public access to county election records except for ballot-box contents. Lycoming County argued CVRs were ballot-box data; the high court ruled they are public. The justices said the decision would let voters verify the vote totals of local election offices.
Key Participants
Heather Honey, DHS deputy assistant secretary and founder of Pennsylvania Fair Elections, filed the petition. Lycoming elections chief Forrest Lehman will supply data. Thomas Breth represented the plaintiffs. Justice Christine Donohue wrote the majority opinion; Justice Daniel McCaffery joined a concurrence.
Data Released
The court ordered release of spreadsheets containing raw CVR data for every 2020 Lycoming ballot, randomized.
Official Statements & Responses
The justices said the ruling lets the public verify that elections are safe, secure and accurate while preserving secrecy. Justice Donohue said the disclosure would promote fairness, honesty, and transparency in elections. Justice McCaffery observed the court did not decide whether CVRs linking ballots to personal data must be disclosed. Lehman said the records will not reveal secret ballots. Breth added that the release will help safeguard elections.
Opposition Concerns
Critics cite Honey’s history of promoting debunked fraud claims and warn the data could fuel false narratives. Officials caution groups may misinterpret the records; a sheriff in Riverside County, California, seized 650,000 ballots based on fraud claims derived from voting data.
Conflicting Issues
Lycoming officials argued scanners are voting machines, making CVRs ballot-box data; the court rejected that. The justices left unresolved whether CVRs that could link to personal identifiers must be disclosed, and the ruling applies only to Lycoming. The court noted that its holding does not automatically extend to other Pennsylvania counties.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Such disclosure promotes fair, honest, and transparent elections, which strikes to the heart of ‘trust but verify,’” — Justice Christine Donohue, Pennsylvania Supreme Court
- “Disclosure facilitates greater trust in our elections, boosts confidence in electoral integrity and protects and promotes the legitimacy of our election outcomes.” — Justice Christine Donohue
- “It's about the future. This significantly improves election integrity moving forward in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” — Thomas Breth, Attorney for the plaintiffs
- “The court made its decision, and anybody who wants it can have at it,” — Forrest Lehman, Lycoming elections chief
Outlook
The ruling may spur more CVR requests in Pennsylvania and influence national debate on election transparency versus voter-privacy. The decision also opens the possibility that the Trump administration could use the data in its election-security efforts.
