| IMPORTANT NOTICE |
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| To be considered a Right to Know request, all records requests must be submitted using the Standard Right to Know Request Form. |
About the Open Records Office
From The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records website:Mission Statement
"The Mission of the Office of Open Records is to enforce the state's Right-to-Know law and to serve as a resource for citizens, public officials and members of the media in obtaining public records of their government."
Ensuring open and honest government is a bedrock principle of democracy. It can only be attained through the unfettered exchange of information between citizens and their government. A citizen's right-to-know, sometimes known as freedom of information, fosters accountability, prevents abuses of power and promotes trust in government. Pennsylvania has codified this important right to access government records in Act 3 of 2008, called the Right-to-Know law.
Governor Edward G. Rendell signed the new Right-To-Know law on February 14, 2008 fundamentally changing the way people access public records of their government. The hallmark of this new law, which fully takes effect January 1, 2009, is its presumption of openness. For the first time in Pennsylvania history, citizens no longer have to prove that a record is public and that it should be released. Now, a government agency must presume that a record is a public record available for inspection or copying. If the government agency chooses to withhold a record, the agency has the burden to prove – with legal citation – why that record should not be available to the public.
The law, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, also established an Office of Open Records. The mission of the Office of Open Records is to enforce the new Right-to-Know law and to serve as a resource to citizens, public officials and members of the media.
Requesting Records from the Bureau of Elections
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in April 2026 that requests for elections records must be made by following the requirements of the election code instead of through the RTK process (Honey v. Lycoming County Offices of Voter Services, April 28, 2026).
Election Records. The statute governing gaining access to most election records is 25 P.S. § 2648. Under this statute, in order to gain access to election records, you must be a registered voter in the county. Records covered by the statute include: election returns; affidavits of voters and candidates; nomination petitions, certificates and papers; other petitions; contracts; and reports. A voter cannot be given access to the contents of ballot boxes, voting machines, and records of assisted voters.
Covered documents may be inspected and copied by a qualified elector of the county during regular business hours, unless the documents are being used by the Board of Elections or its staff. (e.g., You could not access key election records associated with an election when these documents were also being used to canvass the election in question). Public inspection must occur in the presence of an employee representing the Board of Elections.
Voter Registration: Access to voter registration information is covered by 25 Pa.C.S.A. § 1404. Under this statute, any member of the public may access the following voter registration information: name, address, date of birth, voting history, and the voting districts in which the person resides.
Before obtaining this information, the requestor must provide identification and state in writing that any information obtained from the list will not be used for purposes unrelated to elections, political activities, or law enforcement.
Contacts
Mercer County Open Records Office
Roni Shilling, Open Records Officer
rshilling@mercercountypa.gov
125 S. Diamond St
Suite 103
Mercer, PA 16137
(724)-662-3800 x2512
For District Attorney Right To Know Requests, please contact
Jacob Sander, District Attorney Appeals Officer
jsander@mercercountypa.gov
125 S. Diamond St
Suite 209
Mercer, PA 16137
Main Number: (724) 662-3800 x2287
Fax: (724) 662-0807