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

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

Some counties use satellite election offices to help voters complete and apply for mail-in-ballots. Butler County has no satellite offices.

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

The lawsuit also names as defendants Rich Fitzgerald, the county executive of Allegheny County, and Samuel DeMarco III and Bethany Hallam, both members of the Allegheny board of elections.

Hallam, who is also a councilwoman in Allegheny County, responded to a request for comment, but the others didn't.

Hallam said the lawsuit was a baseless attempt from Parnell and Negron to grab unwarranted media attention. Hallam said that no voting is taking place at the satellite office since Pennsylvania doesn't allow for early voting.

“It's not a poll, so a poll watcher certificate is irrelevant,” she said. “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 is folks dropping in ballots.”

Hallam said that by the logic of King and the plaintiffs, everybody who fills in a mail-in-ballot should be watched.

“If you think poll watchers should be allowed at satellite offices, then you are claiming poll watchers should be at my house where I'm completing my mail-in ballot. There's no difference there. That's all that's happening there. These aren't polls,” Hallam said.

She noted that the satellite offices were a new feature this year as a result of Act 77 of 2019, a state legislative reform bill that was sponsored by a Republican majority that aims to help make voting more accessible.

Amie Downs, communications director for Allegheny County, declined to comment on ongoing litigation, but noted that the satellite offices — five in total — are open to the public, allowing anyone to go there, and that a poll watcher certificate is only available on Election Day — Nov. 3 — to gain access to polling places.

The county announced that 12,675 ballots were returned this weekend from early voting. And last weekend, there were 13,950 ballots.

Aside from being the plaintiffs' attorney, King also has connections to this case; as the general counsel to the state Republican Party, he asked two registered Republicans to apply for the certificate. Those applications led to the lawsuit.

On Sept. 17, the Allegheny County Board of Elections voted to open satellite offices in the county in response to the COVID-19 virus.

The board decided to open five locations for three weekends in October. The last one will be Oct. 24 and 25.

But the lawsuit contends that the board of elections made a legislative decision. The plaintiffs argue through King that the board of elections violated the Equal Protection Clause.