Case: Washington Election Integrity Coalition United v. Fell
2:21-cv-01354 | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Filed Date: Oct. 4, 2021
Closed Date: Oct. 3, 2022
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Case Summary
In September 2021, Washington Election Integrity Coalition United (WEiCU) and numerous individual plaintiffs filed suit in Snohomish County Superior Court against Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell and Snohomish County, alleging that the November 2020 general election in Snohomish County was conducted unlawfully. The complaint alleged, among other things, that the Auditor used an uncertified voting system, allowed or facilitated electronic manipulation of voting results, and maintained or used party-preference records in connection with ballots. The individual plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief and damages for alleged violations of the Washington and United States Constitutions, including equal protection, due process, and free speech claims, and asserted a civil-rights claim under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988. WEiCU separately brought a Public Records Act claim seeking production of election materials including original ballots, ballot images, spoiled ballots, adjudication records, ballot envelopes, and returned ballots, and asked the court to unseal ballots for a “full forensic audit.”
The action was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on October 4, 2021. On October 21, 2021, the Snohomish County defendants filed a motion to dismiss the individual plaintiffs’ claims, arguing lack of standing, insufficient service on Auditor Fell, failure to state a claim, and laches. WEiCU opposed that motion on November 8, 2021, arguing that the case should be remanded, that service on Auditor Fell in his official capacity was sufficient, and that the plaintiffs had standing under Washington statutes and to pursue their constitutional claims. On November 12, 2021, the county defendants filed their reply, reiterating that the plaintiffs lacked standing, that the election claims were untimely, that the allegations were conclusory, that laches barred the action, and that Auditor Fell had not been properly served.
WEiCU also moved to remand and continued to argue that the federal court lacked jurisdiction over the state-law claims. On December 7, 2021, the county defendants filed a summary-judgment motion seeking dismissal of WEiCU’s Public Records Act claim, asserting that the County never received WEiCU’s August 2021 records request because emails from ProtonMail were quarantined by the County’s spam filter, that WEiCU had not followed the County’s published records-request procedures, and that ballots and ballot images were exempt from disclosure under Washington law. The motion further argued that no Public Records Act cause of action lay against Auditor Fell individually and that he had not been properly served. WEiCU opposed the motion on January 10, 2022, arguing that the motion should be stricken, that the County’s defenses were moot because the County had acknowledged and responded to the request on December 8, 2021, that the cited authorities did not create a valid statutory exemption, and that Auditor Fell was a proper party and had been properly served in his official capacity. On January 14, 2022, the county defendants replied, arguing that supplemental jurisdiction was proper, that it was undisputed the County had not received WEiCU’s request in August 2021, that ballots were exempt from disclosure under Washington law, and that the Auditor was not a proper Public Records Act defendant.
On September 30, 2022, the district court issued an order denying WEiCU’s motion to remand, granting the defendants’ motion to dismiss, denying the summary-judgment motion as moot, dismissing WEiCU’s Public Records Act claim, and denying a motion to intervene as moot. The court held that the individual plaintiffs lacked Article III standing because they asserted generalized grievances about election administration and had not alleged a concrete, particularized injury. Because the court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction over the federal claims, it held it could not exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the state-law claims. The court nonetheless dismissed rather than remanded the case because it concluded remand would be futile: it found the election-related state-law claims untimely and found WEiCU’s Public Records Act theory barred because ballots and ballot images were exempt from disclosure. The court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction and denied the summary-judgment motion as moot.
Judgment was entered on October 3, 2022, in favor of the defendants and against the plaintiffs, and the plaintiffs’ claims were dismissed without prejudice for the reasons stated in the September 30, 2022 order.
This case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Madison Thibeaux-Brown (4/1/2026)
People
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60623289/parties/washington-election-integrity-coalition-united-v-fell/
Barker, Diana (Washington)
Bartholomew, Lonny (Washington)
Almon-Griffin, Reina A (Washington)
Arora, Nitika (Washington)
Beane, Amanda J. (Washington)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60623289/washington-election-integrity-coalition-united-v-fell/
Last updated Aug. 24, 2026, 4:27 a.m.
Docket for: Washington Election Integrity Coalition United v. Fell
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) project
Key Dates
Filing Date: Oct. 4, 2021
Closing Date: Oct. 3, 2022
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Washington Election Integrity Coalition United and Private Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Type(s):
Non-profit NON-religious organization
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
County
Snohomish County, Washington and Snohomish County, Washington Auditor
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Other Dockets:
Western District of Washington 2:21-cv-01354
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Relief Sought:
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Voting:
Access to Voter Rolls / Voter Information
Case Summary of Washington Election Integrity Coalition United v. Fell, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/47104/ (last updated 4/1/2026).