The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made a significant ruling on Monday regarding the counting of mail-in ballots in the upcoming 2024 election. In a 4-3 decision, the court stated that mail-in ballots with incorrect or missing dates will not be counted, delivering a victory to Republican Party officials. This decision comes as the Republican Party defends their narrow Senate victory in Pennsylvania amid a recount challenge.
The court's ruling reaffirmed that counties in the state are not allowed to count incorrectly dated or undated ballots. Specifically, Boards of Elections in Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia County were instructed to comply with the court's prior rulings on mail-in and absentee ballots.
This ruling is seen as a win for Republican Party officials who had filed multiple lawsuits in the state following the Senate recount effort. Republican candidate David McCormick secured a narrow victory over three-term Democrat Sen. Bob Casey, with a margin of around 17,000 votes, triggering an automatic recount under Pennsylvania law.
Prior to the recount, Republicans raised concerns about election county commissioners in Philadelphia, Bucks County, and Montgomery County allowing incorrectly dated and undated ballots to be counted, which they argued went against the Supreme Court decision.
Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley emphasized the party's commitment to ensuring the election is certified in Pennsylvania, condemning what he described as 'corrupt and despicable conduct' by Democrats in the state.
The court's decision clarified that while handwritten dates on mail-in ballots are required and constitutional, any attempt by counties to count incorrectly dated ballots would be considered a violation of the law. This ruling sets a more direct standard for ballot counting practices in the state.
