Photo credit: www.yahoo.com

PA Supreme Court Rules on Mail-In Ballots Amid U.S. Senate Election

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently issued a significant ruling regarding the counting of mail-in ballots in the contentious U.S. Senate race featuring Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick. The court has mandated that counties refrain from counting any mail-in ballots that do not bear a correctly handwritten date on their return envelopes.

This ruling is viewed as a victory for McCormick and a setback for Casey as both campaigns gear up for a potential statewide recount, with each side vying for favorable decisions in ballot processing. The Democratic-majority court reiterated its previous stance that such ballots should not be included in the election counts, a position that three heavily Democratic counties are contesting.

As reported by the Associated Press, last week the network declared McCormick the winner, determining that not enough remaining ballots were likely to shift the outcome in Casey’s favor.

Currently, McCormick has a lead of approximately 17,000 votes from nearly 7 million ballots counted, which puts him within the 0.5% margin that would trigger an automatic statewide recount according to Pennsylvania law.

The Republican Party had previously urged the court to forbid counties from counting ballots without a correct handwritten date, emphasizing that failure to adhere to this requirement violates established court orders and the voter eligibility standards set forth in state law.

Conversely, election boards in Montgomery County, Philadelphia, and Bucks County — all with Democratic majorities — voted to include ballots missing a proper date, aligning with the view of many election officials that the date does not determine a voter’s eligibility or the validity of a ballot.

Republicans continue to assert that the date is an essential aspect of ensuring ballot integrity.

Although the GOP initially sought to prevent the counting of ballots in Centre County, they later acknowledged that only a small number of questionable ballots had been processed there.

It is estimated that the number of mail-in ballots lacking correct dates statewide could reach into the thousands, but many counties, including those with large populations run by Democrats, did not count them.

Historically, Democrats have cast more mail-in votes compared to Republicans and have advocated for counting ballots that do not meet what they consider trivial administrative criteria.

Several courts have previously ruled against the requirement for dates on ballots in multiple cases, yet higher courts have consistently reinstated it.

Meanwhile, a significant case regarding the constitutional implications of this law is pending before the state Supreme Court, which has yet to issue a ruling.

In a related note, McCormick’s position during his previous campaign illustrated a alignment with Democratic views on certain election issues, highlighting his approach in attempting to resonate with a broader voter base.

The ongoing developments in this election are being closely monitored as both parties prepare for the next steps in what has become a heated contest.

___

For the latest updates, follow developments on this topic closely as the situation evolves.

Source
www.yahoo.com