A challenger to U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-17th, whose district covers Cranberry Township, is suing Allegheny County Board of Elections and others for election practices related to “satellite” election offices in Allegheny County.

The lawsuit was filed by Thomas King, a Republican lawyer in Butler County involved in other federal lawsuits aimed at voting expansion practices.

Some counties use satellite election offices to help voters complete and apply for mail-in-ballots.

King is representing Sean Parnell, Lamb's Republican challenger, and Luke Negron, a Republican running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Doyle, D-18th.

The plaintiffs claim Poll Watcher Certificates were never given to two Republicans after they requested to poll watch satellite offices in Allegheny County. By not getting the certificates, the lawsuit contends, the candidates' constitutional rights were violated.

“It's not a poll, so a poll watcher certificate is irrelevant,” said Bethany Hallam, a member of the Allegheny board of elections whose name was listed in the lawsuit. “No one is voting at a satellite office. They're either submitting a mail-in ballot or they're filing for a mail-in ballot. There's no voting that is tabulated. No voting being recorded. All it is folks dropping in ballots.”

Read more in Tuesday's Butler Eagle.