Posted on 09/14/24
| News Source: The Hill
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on Friday that mail-in ballots with incorrect dates will not be counted in November, reversing a previous ruling from a lower court in the battleground state.
The decision from last month named only Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties, which the state’s Supreme Court argued the lower ruling lacked jurisdiction.
“HUGE election integrity win in Pennsylvania,” GOP Chairman Michael Whatley said in a post on X.
The court’s reversal is a win for the Republicans, but received some backlash from the state’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which labeled misdated ballots a “common trivial error on the external envelopes” in a press release on Friday.
“Today’s procedural ruling is a setback for Pennsylvania voters, but we will keep fighting for them. These eligible voters who got their ballots in on time should have their votes counted and voices heard,” said ACLU of Pennsylvania attorney Steve Loney in a statement. “The fundamental right to vote is among the most precious rights we enjoy as Pennsylvanians, and it should take more than a trivial paperwork error to take it away.”
Ten community organizations sued Pennsylvania State Secretary Al Schmidt and election officials in the two named counties in state court, according to the ACLU’s press release.
Three of the seven justices dissented against the reversal.
Pennsylvania is a crucial state in the upcoming election, with polling from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ showing that it’s likely going to be a toss-up between Vice President Harris, who holds less than a one percent lead over former President Trump.