The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has blocked an effort to allow mail-in ballots without handwritten dates to be counted in the 2024 election.
The ruling overturns a Commonwealth Court ruling that held state laws requiring handwritten dates to be unconstitutional. The Pennsylvania Republican Party has appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court, which means undated mail-in ballots will not be counted in future elections.
Justice Kevin Dougherty recommended the Commonwealth Court's decision in a powerful opinion related to Friday's decision.
“This court will not impose or condone significant changes to existing laws or procedures during the pendency of an ongoing election.” We said these carefully chosen words. “Just a few weeks ago, it clearly fell on deaf ears in the very federal courts where the bulk of election litigation plays out,” Dougherty wrote.
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Following a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling, mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania must be hand-dated to be counted in the 2024 election. (Bill Priano/Getty Images)
“Today's order, in which I join, gives ships rights. And this order sends a loud message to every court in this Commonwealth. During the ongoing election dispute, existing law… “We said what we said in declaring that we would not tolerate any major changes to our procedures or procedures. What we said was meaningful and meaningful,” he continued.
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Pennsylvania Republicans welcomed Friday's ruling, saying Democrats have repeatedly sought to overturn the dating requirement.
“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld this law, and the dated ballot requirement remains in effect in this election,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. They have tried to eliminate them, but we have thwarted them every time.” . “We are committed to protecting critical voting safeguards to ensure every vote is properly cast and counted, and we will continue to fight across Pennsylvania to protect the vote. .”
Stickers and placards supporting U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris are displayed outside the on-demand voting and ballot drop-off center at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, on October 31, 2024. (Ed Jones/AFP)
State officials in favor of allowing undated ballots to be counted say the change will make the process easier for election officials. The Pennsylvania Department of State filed a brief supporting the change ahead of Friday's court ruling.
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“The requirement that county commissions retain mail-in ballots with incorrect declaration dates, especially mail-in ballot envelopes with “incorrect'' dates, imposed a significant burden on county commissions. . Election officials must manually review all ballots to determine whether they have the “correct” date on their preparations, according to the Pennsylvania Capital Star.
As Americans head to the polls, Republicans and Democrats are battling over election policy. (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
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Friday's ruling marks the second time this month that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has blocked a Democratic-backed effort to eliminate the dating requirement.
