Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt has made it clear that no one should be expecting the final vote count on Election Night this November. Why? Because state law doesn’t allow mail-in ballots to be counted until 7 a.m. on Election Day. So once again, Pennsylvanians and the rest of the country will likely be left in suspense while the votes slowly come in, just like in previous elections.
In a move likely to cause a stir, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that mail-in ballots missing the correct dates on their envelopes won’t count. Given that Pennsylvania is a key battleground state with 19 electoral votes at stake, this could have a major impact. The court’s decision focused on procedure, saying the lower court that previously found the date mandate unenforceable overstepped by not involving all 67 counties in the lawsuit—only Philadelphia and Allegheny County were included by the left-leaning groups that filed the case.
The ruling now means that dates on mail-in ballots are essential and must be correct for the votes to count. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court basically said the lower Commonwealth Court didn’t have the authority to make the call on this issue. So, voters who mail in their ballots will need to double-check every detail, especially the date, as it’s now a requirement that cannot be ignored.
Republicans are celebrating this as a big win for election integrity in a state that could very well decide the presidential race. Meanwhile, groups like the ACLU are gearing up for more legal battles, arguing that this decision disenfranchises voters over what they see as minor technical errors. Republicans like RNC Chairman Michael Whatley are calling it a victory for fairness, saying it makes Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting system less vulnerable to fraud, while the left is decrying it as a blow to voter rights.
This is not just a theoretical issue. Earlier this year, Pennsylvania disqualified nearly 16,000 mail-in ballots during the primary due to irregularities, with almost half thrown out for things like missing signatures or incorrect dates. Since most mail-in ballots are requested by Democrats, it’s no surprise this has turned into such a partisan fight. With President Biden having won Pennsylvania by just over 80,000 votes in 2020, and both Trump and Harris campaigning there this week, it’s clear the stakes couldn’t be higher. The drama in Pennsylvania is far from over, and 2024 looks like it will be another nail-biter in the state.
Court: PA Ballots With Bad Dates Will Be Rejected
