Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sided with the state's high court, calling Republican officials after judges ruled that defective mail-in ballots could not be counted amid a contentious recount. brought victory to the people.
In a 4-3 decision Monday, the state Supreme Court reaffirmed an earlier ruling that counties cannot count misdated or undated ballots. The decision names the Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia County Boards of Elections and says they “shall abide by the court's prior rulings that we have identified” regarding Nov. 1 mail-in and absentee voting. said. Ruling.
“Any insinuation that our laws can be ignored or that they don't matter is irresponsible and undermines confidence in our election process,” Democrat Shapiro said in a statement. “The rule of law is important in Pennsylvania. … It is important that counties of both parties respect the rule of law in both their words and their actions.”
As governor, Shapiro said he will “continue to work to protect our democracy and the vote of every eligible Pennsylvanian.”
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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro speaks in front of Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. Shapiro on Monday sided with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court over a ruling regarding the counting of defective mail-in ballots. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)
The high court initially ruled on Nov. 1 that mail-in ballots without the officially required signatures or dates should not be counted. But Democratic-led election boards, including those in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery and Center counties, balked at the ruling and voted to include such ballots in the recount.
“People break the law all the time,” Democratic Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis Marseglia said last week, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “So for me, if I'm going to violate this law, it's because I want the court to take notice. There's nothing more important than counting the votes.”
Monday's ruling comes amid an aggressive recount effort in the Senate following Republican candidate David McCormick's narrow victory over three-term Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. The announcement comes amid numerous lawsuits filed.
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In a 4-3 decision Monday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reaffirmed an earlier ruling that counties cannot count misdated or undated ballots. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Mr. McCormick beat Mr. Casey in the state by about 17,000 votes, or within 0.5 percentage points. The narrow victory allowed Casey to qualify for an automatic recount under Pennsylvania law.
The Republican National Committee criticized Mr. Shapiro for not speaking out sooner to defend the court's action.
“It is reassuring that Democrats have concluded that they cannot muster enough votes to win by ignoring the Pennsylvania Supreme Court…” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley wrote of X. Better late than never. ”
In the Senate race, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Sen. Dave McCormick defeated Mr. Casey by about 17,000 votes. (Getty Images)
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Trump campaign official Chris Lacivita said Pennsylvania election officials would face prison time for miscounting mail-in ballots.
“They will go to jail,” he wrote to X on Sunday night. “Expect.”
Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
