I’m Michael Miller, and I’ve spent the last two years fighting for something fundamental: public access to election records. What began as a simple request under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) has turned into a protracted legal battle, with government roadblocks at every turn and the courts failing to act.
On December 7, 2024, I petitioned the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to intervene. Not just because my case matters to me, but because it reveals a deeper problem in our system: a judiciary that moves swiftly when the government wants to act against a citizen, but drags its feet when a citizen seeks accountability from the government.
The disparity is clear when you compare my case to that of Amos Miller, a Lancaster County farmer.
A TALE OF TWO CASES
In January, Pennsylvania Dpt. of Agriculture raided Amos Miller’s farm, accusing him of violating regulations by selling raw milk to private clients. Within a month, the agency’s lawyers secured a court hearing to move its enforcement action forward. The system acted quickly, as it often does when ‘government interests’ are at stake.
Now contrast that with my experience. In May 2022, I was a candidate for State Senate and requested public election records under the RTKL, including mail-in ballot records and digital images of those ballots. Instead of fulfilling its legal obligations, County of Lancaster officials denied access and imposed restrictions to prevent release.
I took my fight to the courts, filing appeals in June 2023 after lower courts dismissed my cases without proper hearings. Yet, here I am, 18 months later, still waiting for the Commonwealth Court to take action. No hearings. No rulings. Just silence.
Every time I call the Court, I’m told the same thing: the Court will get to it “in its own time.”
WHY THIS MATTERS
This isn’t just about me. It’s about the imbalance in how our system treats citizens. When the government wants to act against a citizen, the courts move quickly. But when a citizen challenges the government, the process slows to a crawl.
This disparity undermines public trust. Courts are supposed to be impartial guardians of liberty, yet they often seem more responsive to the government than to the people they serve.
Transparency in elections is critical to public confidence in our democracy. If the government can deny or delay access to public records without consequence, how can citizens verify that elections are conducted fairly? How can we hold officials accountable?
TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE SUPREME COURT
That’s why I’ve asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to intervene. Under state law, the Supreme Court can step in when lower courts delay cases involving issues of immediate public importance. I believe my case meets that standard.
My petition focuses on enforcing state laws like the RTKL and the Election Code—laws designed to protect transparency and accountability. By intervening, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to remind everyone, from government officials to the courts themselves, that citizens’ rights must come first.
WHAT CITIZENS CAN DO
This is bigger than my case. It’s about making sure the government and courts work for the people—not the other way around. Here’s what you can do:
1. Learn Your Rights: Understand laws like the RTKL that protect your right to access public records. These laws are only as strong as we demand them to be.
2. Demand Accountability: Hold officials and the courts to their duties. When delays or denials happen, push back. Refuse to tolerate negligence or abuse.
3. Support Transparency Efforts: Cases like mine are part of a larger fight for government accountability. If you believe in this cause, join me.
Visit ShowMeTheBallots.net (https://showmetheballots.net/) to learn more about my case and how you can support the fight for transparency. Together, we can ensure that citizens’ voices are heard and that democracy remains accountable to the people.
Show Me The Ballots (https://showmetheballots.net/)
Learn about Mike Miller’s case against COUNTY OF LANCASTER.
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