HARRISBURG(AP) — Pennsylvania’s high court ruled Tuesday that spreadsheets of raw data associated with every ballot are public records, providing access to the “cast vote records” that had been requested by an election researcher hired by the Trump Administration last year.

The Democratic-majority Supreme Court said its unanimous decision was a way to “satisfy the voting public that our elections are safe, secure and accurate” while preserving the state constitution’s requirement that votes remain secret.

kAm%96 {J4@>:?8 r@F?EJ 6=64E:@?D 5:C64E@C 😕 (:==:2>DA@CE 925 56?:65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^962E96C\9@?6J\ECF>A\6=64E:@?\:?E68C:EJ\9@>6=2?5\D64FC:EJ\6__3_55c57dcg5b`f46a`ge2bach7e7_Qmw62E96C w@?6JVDk^2m C6BF6DE 7@C 5:8:E2= 4@A:6D 7C@> E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^a_aa\>:5E6C>\6=64E:@?D\3:56?\A6??DJ=G2?:2\5@?2=5\ECF>A\G@E:?8\dg3cc`f`f27h43ec2eefcg_4gb3bf4ffQma_a_ AC6D:56?E:2= 6=64E:@?k^2m[ D2J:?8 E92E H@F=5 2>@F?E E@ =6EE:?8 96C C6G:6H E96 4@?E6?ED @7 2 32==@E 3@I[ @?6 G@E6 2E 2 E:>6] r2DE G@E6 C64@C5D 2C6 4C62E65 H96? 2 G@E6CVD 49@:46D 2C6 >256 6=64EC@?:42==J @C D42??65]k^Am

kAm!6??DJ=G2?:2 6=64E:@? =2H AC@G:56D H:56 AF3=:4 2446DD E@ 4@F?EJ 6=64E:@? C64@C5D[ 6I46AE 7@C E96 4@?E6?ED @7 32==@E 3@I6D 2?5 G@E:?8 >249:?6D 2?5 C64@C5D @7 2DD:DE65 G@E6CD] {J4@>:?8 ‘@E6C $6CG:46D 925 2C8F65 :ED D42??6CD 2?5 E23F=2E@CD 4@?DE:EFE6 G@E:?8 >249:?6D 2?5 E96 42DE G@E6 C64@C5D 2C6 E96 4@?E6?ED @7 32==@E 3@I6D]k^Am

kAmpD w@?6J 5:5 ?@E =:G6 2?5 G@E6 😕 {J4@>:?8 r@F?EJ[ D96 H2D DF4466565 😕 E96 =:E:82E:@? 3J E9C66 (:==:2>DA@CE 2C62 C6D:56?ED — 2 =@42= 3FD:?6DD>2?[ 2 C6E:C65 DE2E6 EC@@A6C 2?5 #6AF3=:42? DE2E6 #6A] y@6 w2>>]k^Am

kAm%96:C =2HJ6C[ %9@>2D qC6E9[ D2:5 E96 52E2 H:== 2==@H A6@A=6 E@ C6G:6H H92E 92AA6?65 😕 E96 9@E=J 4@?E6DE65 a_a_ 6=64E:@?]k^Am

Story continues below video

kAm“x? D9@CE[ :EVD ?@E D@=6=J 23@FE E96 A2DE[” qC6E9 D2:5] “xEVD 23@FE E96 7FEFC6] %9:D D:8?:7:42?E=J :>AC@G6D 6=64E:@? :?E68C:EJ >@G:?8 7@CH2C5 😕 E96 r@>>@?H62=E9 @7 !6??DJ=G2?:2]”k^Am

kAm{J4@>:?8 6=64E:@?D 49:67 u@CC6DE {69>2? D2:5 %F6D52J 96 5@6D ?@E 36=:6G6 E96 C64@C5D[ H9:49 4@?E2:? C2?5@>:K65 52E2[ H:== C6G62= 2?J D64C6E 32==@E :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 E92E 96 😀 C625J E@ AC@G:56 E96 C64@C5D FA@? C6BF6DE]k^Am

kAm“%96 4@FCE >256 :ED 564:D:@?[ 2?5 2?J3@5J H9@ H2?ED :E 42? 92G6 2E :E[” {69>2? D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE CF=65 E92E E96 42DE G@E6 C64@C5D “2C6 DAC625D966ED @7 C2H 52E2 AF==65 7C@> E96 42DE 32==@ED] %96J 2C6 ?@E E96 A9JD:42= 32==@ED 4@?E2:?65 😕 E96 32==@E 3@I]” %96C67@C6[ E96J 2C6 AF3=:4 C64@C5D[ E96 ;FDE:46D 4@?4=F565i “%9:D :?E6CAC6E2E:@? 5@6D ?@E 56DEC@J E96 D64C64J @7 E96 G@E6 2?J >@C6 E92? 2 E2==J @7 2== G@E6D 7C@> 2 DA64:7:4 6=64E:@?]”k^Am

kAm%96 9:89 4@FCE D2:5 :E H2D @?=J CF=:?8 😕 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A6??DJ=G2?:2\6=64E:@?D\G@E:?8\4@FCE\6=64EC@?:4\h3gb7c__hhheacdefb4c4bcb65b2fcgcQm{J4@>:?8 r@F?EJ >2EE6Ck^2m 2?5 D2:5 :E H2D A@DD:3=6 E92E @E96C 4@F?E:6D 5@ ?@E DF77:4:6?E=J C2?5@>:K6 E96 52E2] “(96E96C E96 t=64E:@? r@56 C6BF:C6D 5:D4=@DFC6 @7 r’#D E92E 4=62C=J =:?< E96 4@?E6?ED @7 2 32==@E H:E9 A6CD@?2==J :56?E:7J:?8 52E2 😀 ?@E 367@C6 FD[Q HC@E6 yFDE:46 s2?:6= |4r2776CJ]k^Am

kAmqC6E9 5:D>:DD65 E92E A@DD:3:=:EJ[ D2J:?8 E96 DE2E6VD 4FCC6?E 6=64E:@? 6BF:A>6?E DE2?52C5D C6BF:C6 D2768F2C5D E@ AC@E64E G@E6C :56?E:EJ]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.