The Lancaster County Board of Elections will investigate complaints filed against Lancaster Township Supervisor Tony Allen, who narrowly lost his bid for a fourth term Nov. 3.

The written allegations, from local Democrats, contend that candidate Allen wore a poll watcher badge on Election Day and walked into polling places in which he wasn't voting, which violates the state election code.

The complaints were submitted by attorney Gregory Paulson, on behalf of the Lancaster Township Democratic Committee and the Lancaster County Democratic Committee; and Joseph G. Lyall, a Lancaster Township judge of elections. Paulson is also a Democratic committeeman in Lancaster city.

Mike Pickard, chairman of the Lancaster Township GOP, said in an e-mail that he hadn't seen the complaints. But he added, "I think it would be appropriate to allow the [Elections Board] to investigate ... and we will cooperate fully with them."

Paulson's and Lyall's letters were obtained by the Sunday News from the county Board of Elections.

Allen, a Republican, was defeated by Democrat Benjamin Bamford 1,192 votes to 1,179. A Friday recount confirmed Bamford's victory.

In his complaint, addressed to Mary Stehman, chief clerk of the Board of Elections, Paulson said the information he offers "comes from the written statements of four individuals who were present at polling places in Lancaster Township when the incidents reported actually occurred."

One of these was at Lancaster Country Day School's polling place, he wrote, which is not Allen's home precinct.

"Allen walked to the table where the clerks were sitting and said, 'Hello, I'm Tony Allen,' while sticking out his hand to be shaken," the complaint reads.

"The clerks were surprised at his presence in the polling place. They were also surprised to see a 'Poll Watcher' badge on the front of his shirt or coat. When the judge of elections approached Mr. Allen, he replied, 'I'm a poll watcher.' After he was asked for a poll watcher certificate, he left the polling place without producing it."

The complaint also alleges that Allen made a visit to a second Lancaster Township polling place while wearing a poll watcher badge.

Because candidates are forbidden by the state election code from coming within 10 feet of an active polling place — except the one in which they're voting — they're by definition barred from being poll watchers.

Paulson wrote: "Tony Allen is a seasoned candidate. ... Assuming he knows this policy, we believe he deliberately and intentionally breached the rules and regulations ... and may have deliberately used the [poll watcher] designation as a ruse to gain access ... inside various polling places."

Joseph Lyall, the Democratic judge of elections at the Country Day School polling place, also wrote a letter to Stehman about what happened at LCDS.

"Late morning on Election Day ... I was at the polling place reading some election materials ... when I looked up to see Tony Allen shaking the hands of our election clerks," his complaint reads.

"Knowing that he was the incumbent Lancaster Township supervisor of 18 years who was a candidate running for reelection and that this was not his polling place, I immediately got up and said, 'Tony, what are you doing in here? You are not supposed to be in here. Get out.'

"He said he was a poll watcher and showed me he had a poll watcher badge on his lapel. I then demanded to see his poll watching certificate, but he refused to produce one, turned and quickly left the polling place."

In a phone interview Thursday, Lyall said "it certainly seemed to be suspicious" that Allen showed up with a poll watcher badge.

Paulson asked the Board of Elections to investigate if Allen was issued a poll watcher certificate and why; and why judges of elections (except at Country Day) allowed him entry into polling places other than his own.

Allen didn't return phone calls seeking comment.

Chief Clerk Stehman said the allegations against Allen will be investigated, along with two other complaints from Paulson.

First, he alleges that Linda Reed, a Republican judge of elections in Lancaster Township, advised at least one voter to cast a ballot for her while Reed was inside a polling place. Such electioneering is prohibited.

In addition, Paulson said he overheard Mary Weaver, a Republican clerk in Lancaster Township, tell six voters, "Vote as you normally do for all these years."

Paulson wrote, "It is clear that the message ... is or was meant to be a political message attempting to influence those six voters. It is a clear violation of the law, and we ask the offending clerk be appropriately sanctioned."

Both alleged incidents happened at the Burrowes Elementary School polling place.

Reached by phone Friday, Weaver took umbrage at Paulson's accusation.

"That is absolutely ludicrous," she said.

The statement "Vote as you normally do for all these years" was meant to reassure people about the paper ballots, and was certainly not a directive on whom to vote for, said Weaver, who was upset at having her integrity questioned.

Paulson's interpretation is "way wrong," she said. "This really disturbs me."

She also stood up for Reed, who was unavailable for comment. The allegation that Reed told anyone to vote for her "is absolutely false," Weaver said.

"Linda would never do that."