PA Supreme Court Blocks Counting of Undated Mail-in Ballots
PennsylvaniaPA Supreme Court ElectionBlocks BallotCounting Rulingof Undated Mail-in Ballots
The Facts
Republican Dave McCormick leads Democratic Senator Bob Casey by 17,408 votes with 99.7% of votes counted and 24,000 ballots remaining, triggering an automatic recount due to the margin being less than 0.5 percentage points.
The court's decision came after several Democratic-led counties, including Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Bucks, had voted to count undated ballots despite previous court rulings prohibiting the practice.
The Spin
The date requirement on mail-in ballot envelopes serves no material purpose and disenfranchises eligible Pennsylvania voters. The technical requirement does not indicate voter ineligibility or ballot illegitimacy, and throwing out these votes over minor clerical errors undermines democratic participation.
