Chester County made national news with the mismanagement of the 2025 Municipal General Election impacting more than 12,000 voters. Below is an update on the election, the resulting investigation, and ongoing litigation brought by the County of Chester as it attempts to block access to public records.

On Friday, December 5, 2025, the Chester County Board of Elections met to consider the certification of the November 4th Municipal General Election. Controversy regarding the colossal Voter Services error of omitting 3rd party voters from the poll books plagued the entire meeting. Despite an ongoing investigation into the causes of the problem, the board voted 2-1 to certify the election. Commissioner Eric Roe believed there were too many inconsistencies in the treatment of voters between precincts for him to certify the accuracy of the vote totals. His faith, as well as that of many in the community, has been shaken in the Voter Services Department due to its inefficacy and breach of standards. Chairman Josh Maxwell pledged to earn back the trust of the voters. The entire meeting can be seen here.

Chester County hired a law firm, Fleck Eckert Klein McGarry, LLC (FEKM), to investigate the cause of the election poll book error and the resulting confusion for poll workers and voters. The contract with the firm caps the county expenditure at $35,000, which will come from the Voter Services budget. A written report with findings, conclusions, and recommendations will be provided to the county by December 19 with a public presentation to be delivered a month later.

When businesses have a breakdown in function or process, do they typically turn to attorneys to help identify the problem? No. Usually, they do not. Businesses hire auditors to review processes and procedures that may have led to a breakdown. Businesses might hire a law firm to oversee an investigation if they want to ensure attorney/client privilege with the findings. FEKM may be a fine law firm. Their website indicates that they provide Commercial Litigation, Business Law, Banking and Finance, Education Law, and General Litigation services. Audit services are not mentioned. Why would Chester County hire a law firm to conduct an investigation rather than an independent audit firm? We are sure that the public will be provided full disclosure of the law firm’s findings and recommendations. The county would never consider providing cherry-picked sections of the report. They have nothing to hide. Right?

The County of Chester, represented by Assistant Solicitor Faith Mattox-Baldini, appeared in PA Commonwealth Court on Monday, December 8, 2025 before a three judge panel, which included Judge Fizzano Cannon, Judge Dumas, and Judge Wolf. The County appealed the Chester County Court of Common Pleas ruling directing the County to provide unredacted public records to resident, Felice Fein. The Mattox-Baldini arguments were varied and seemed unfocused. Judge Wolf tried to narrow the scope by asking if this case was predicated on a previous case which was unanimously decided in favor of the information requestor. While Mattox-Baldini disagreed with Judge Wolf’s assertion, Fein’s attorney, Thomas Breth, fully agreed with it, which led the judge to declare, “it’s almost as though she read the Previte case before filing the Right to Know.” The court’s decision is expected at some point early in 2026. Hopefully, it will agree that the public records requested should be provided unredacted as the law requires. Why is Chester County fighting so hard to keep information from the public? How much taxpayer money are they using in that fight?

As the Constitutional Convention ended in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked if the delegates produced a monarchy or a republic. Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

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