The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will reexamine whether voters must write the correct date on mail-in ballot return envelopes to be counted. The case stems from a Philadelphia judge's ruling that 69 ballots lacking the date should be counted. The court will determine if the dating rule violates the state constitution's guarantee of free and equal elections.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will reconsider whether voters must write the correct date on return envelopes for mail-in ballots to be counted. This requirement in state law has sparked numerous legal challenges over the past four years, leading to multiple cases reaching the state Supreme Court.
The justices stated they will determine if the dating rule for absentee and mail ballot return envelopes violates a state constitutional provision guaranteeing free and equal elections. Justice Christine Donohue, one of five Democrats on the seven-justice court, wrote that the constitutional challenge stems from the established fact through years of litigation that the dating requirement serves no substantial purpose in the election process. Donohue also expressed that the court's decision to accept the case should have delved deeper into the enforcement of the dating requirements before analyzing its constitutionality. The current case centers around 69 mail-in ballots from two state House special elections that a Philadelphia judge ruled should be counted despite lacking a handwritten date on the return envelope. The Superior Court upheld that decision 3-2 in late October. However, the Supreme Court swiftly intervened, suspending the ruling and clarifying that it wouldn't apply to the November 5th presidential election. Democrats and voting rights organizations have consistently challenged the dating provision, arguing that ballots are being rejected due to a trivial administrative detail. Conversely, Republicans maintain that the date serves as a crucial security measure, despite counties not utilizing it to verify if a ballot arrived before the deadline. Lower courts have previously ruled that discarding ballots lacking an accurate handwritten date on the envelope is unconstitutional or illegal. Nevertheless, higher courts, including the state Supreme Court, have blocked these rulings from taking effect. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's upcoming decision carries significant implications for election integrity and accessibility, potentially shaping the future of mail-in voting in the state.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Mail-In Ballot Dating Requirement Election Laws Voting Rights
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Republican in close N.C. Supreme Court race asks that court to throw out 60,000 ballotsAdam Edelman is a politics reporter for NBC News.
Read more »
Retiring Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht reflects on court he helped changeNathan Hecht won six reelections and led the court as chief justice for more than a decade. He retires now not because he’s had enough, but because state law…
Read more »
North Carolina Supreme Court Election Dispute Heads Back to State CourtA federal judge has sent a legal battle over a North Carolina Supreme Court election back to the state's highest court, where it has been blocked. The dispute centers around the election between Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs and GOP challenger Jefferson Griffin.
Read more »
Trump asks the Supreme Court to block NY court from sentencing him on FridayRooted in fact-based, transparent reporting, Newsy is an award-winning opinion-free network owned by the E.W. Scripps Company that is relentlessly focused on “the why” of every story and seeks to enable a more intimate and immersive understanding of the issues that matter.
Read more »
Supreme Court to weigh reinstating Obamacare care requirements struck down by lower courtThe Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider some reinstating preventative care coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act that were struck down by a lower court.
Read more »
Supreme Court to weigh reinstating Obamacare care requirements struck down by lower courtThe Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider some reinstating preventative care coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act that were struck down by a lower court.
Read more »