On January 23, a U.S. District Court in Philadelphia issued a 79-page ruling in Acosta v Democratic City Committee (formerly known as Little v Vasquez), e.d., 2:17cv-1462. This lawsuit was filed last year after serious irregularities in the special state house special election in the 197th district came to light. This is the special election in which the only candidate listed on the ballot was the Republican nominee, but the Democratic Party and the Green Party both had strong write-in campaigns. The Democratic write-in candidate won, but his opponents filed a lawsuit alleging that polling place officials actively worked to discourage any votes to be cast unless they were for the Democratic nominee.
The decision keeps the case alive, and clears away many procedural obstacles, but it requires the plaintiffs to file an amended complaint, and finds that they should not sue any state officials.