The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made a decision on Monday regarding the exclusion of mail-in ballots with incorrect or missing dates for the 2024 election. This ruling was seen as a victory for the Republican Party officials who were defending their narrow Senate victory amidst a recount challenge in the state.
In a 4-3 decision, the state Supreme Court reaffirmed that counties in Pennsylvania cannot count incorrectly dated or undated mail-in ballots. Specifically, Boards of Elections in Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia County were instructed to comply with the court’s prior rulings on this matter.
Republican Party officials had filed 12 lawsuits in Pennsylvania in response to the recount efforts following Republican candidate David McCormick’s victory over three-term Democrat Sen. Bob Casey by a margin of around 17,000 votes, which fell within the 0.5% margin of error for an automatic recount.
Leading up to the Senate recount in Pennsylvania, Republicans raised concerns about election county commissioners in Philadelphia, Bucks County, and Montgomery County allowing incorrectly dated and undated mail-in ballots to be counted, which they believed went against the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision.
Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley expressed determination to continue with a strong legal strategy to ensure the certification of the election in Pennsylvania and to address what party officials deemed as unethical behavior by Democrats in the state.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling on November 1 confirmed the constitutionality of requiring handwritten dates on mail-in ballots, which was considered a win for the GOP. The recent decision further emphasized that counties attempting to count ballots without proper dates are violating the law.
Overall, this ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has significant implications for the ongoing recount efforts and highlights the legal battles surrounding the 2024 election in the state. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the final outcome and certification of the election results.