Pennsylvania’s Department of State warned counties against giving “third-party entities” access to voting machines shortly after a key Republican lawmaker requested “information and materials” from three counties for a “forensic investigation” of the 2020 election and 2021 primary.

Complying with such a demand would lead the department, led by acting Secretary of State Veronica Degraffenreid, to decertify the equipment as they would be “considered no longer secure or reliable to use in subsequent elections,” according to a directive dated Thursday.