The U.S. Supreme Court declined an emergency appeal from Pennsylvania Republicans that sought to disqualify thousands of provisional ballots. With the presidential race heating up in the crucial battleground state, the decision bolsters voting rights advocates’ efforts to ensure ballots cast under certain conditions will count, even if the initial mail-in ballot faced issues.
The Supreme Court’s rejection maintains a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that mandates election officials to count provisional ballots if a voter’s mail-in ballot was rejected. This outcome is a significant win for voting rights groups who fought to allow provisional ballots for voters whose mail-in ballots were invalidated due to minor errors.
GOP Secures Another Win
While the Supreme Court’s decision on provisional ballots dealt a setback to Republican efforts, the GOP did secure a separate ruling from Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. The state’s high court upheld a measure rejecting mail-in ballots lacking a properly handwritten date on the envelope, a last-minute win for Republicans in their pursuit of strict mail-in ballot regulations. Voting rights advocates had argued that undated ballots should be counted, citing voter intent over technicalities, but this ruling will prevent those ballots from being included in the final tally.
Together, these rulings mark another chapter in a long and ongoing legal battle over mail-in voting in Pennsylvania. As a critical state with 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania has been a prime target for election lawsuits over the last four years, as both parties have fought for every possible vote.
Thousands of Pennsylvania Mail-In Ballots Risk Disqualification Over Minor Issues
According to state data, approximately 9,000 out of 1.6 million returned mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania have been flagged due to issues such as missing dates, signatures, or secrecy envelopes. These issues make these ballots susceptible to disqualification under state law.
In 2016 and 2020, Pennsylvania played a decisive role in the outcome of the presidential election, first going to Donald Trump and later to Joe Biden. This year, with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump competing fiercely, any discarded mail-in ballots could impact the final results, potentially triggering further litigation in the state.
Witold Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, underscored the likelihood of renewed legal challenges over undated ballots if the election results are close. “It’s almost certain that this is going to be raised again after the election, especially if it’s a close election,” Walczak said.
Pennsylvania Counties Brace for Long Days as Voters Seek Replacement Ballots
As voters hurried to secure their mail-in ballots, counties across Pennsylvania scrambled to meet the demand for ballot replacements. With the deadline for mail-in ballot applications now passed, some counties took additional measures to assist voters who never received their ballots.
In northwestern Pennsylvania’s Erie County, a judge ruled on Friday that approximately 15,000 residents who applied for mail-in ballots but never received them would be able to pick up replacements in person at the county elections office through Monday. This measure allows affected voters to cancel their missing ballots and secure replacements over the counter.
In Bucks County, near Philadelphia, a separate ruling allowed voters until 5 p.m. Friday to apply for mail-in ballots following an extended deadline prompted by a lawsuit from the Trump campaign. The legal battle arose after the campaign alleged that some voters had been turned away due to heavy demand.
Pennsylvania Residents Turn Out to Secure Their Ballots
Lines stretched down sidewalks outside election offices, with voters facing hours-long waits to ensure their ballots were secured. In Bucks County’s Doylestown, Democratic and Republican voters alike braved lengthy waits on Friday to obtain or confirm their mail-in ballots.
Nakesha McGuirk, a 44-year-old Democrat from Bensalem and supporter of Kamala Harris, was among those who lined up to vote early, worried her work commute might prevent her from making it to the polls on Election Day. “I did not expect the line to be this long. But I’m going to stick it out,” she said. “I figured that rather than run into the risk of not getting home in time to go and vote, that it would be better to just do it this way early.”
Patrick Lonieski, a 62-year-old Trump supporter from Buckingham, also waited to cast his ballot, citing the convenience of voting on Friday due to his work schedule. Lonieski, who was joined by his 18-year-old son, voting for the first time, called Bucks County a “pivotal” area in the election outcome. “I just want to make sure I get my ballot in and it’s counted,” he said.
As the final 5 p.m. deadline approached, election workers counted down the remaining seconds for those still in line. The last voter sprinted through the door just in time, greeted by cheers from onlookers and poll workers alike.
