As I wrote on October 25, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed with an appeals court’s ruling that disagreed with a Republican appeal that the state should not count provisional ballots from voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected:
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania rejected an appeal by Republicans on behalf of a county election board that two voters had sued to be allowed to cast provisional ballots after irregularities led to their mail-in ballots being rejected by a slim 4-person majority were rejected -3 margin.
above The Hill:
The case came after Pennsylvania’s primary election in April, when county election officials rejected provisional ballots from two voters in Butler County, which is north of Pittsburgh.
Voters did not cast their mail-in ballots with an inner secrecy envelope, a mistake commonly known as a “naked ballot.” After being notified, the two Pennsylvanians showed up at their polling stations on primary election day to vote.
They filed suit after the county election board rejected provisional ballots they had cast in person. The RNC and the Pennsylvania Republican Party intervened to support the board, while the Pennsylvania Democratic Party intervened to support the voters’ challenge.
The case was heard by a trial court, which found that the board’s decision to reject the provisional votes was correct; However, that was overturned by an appeals court, which ruled that voters should receive a redo with their provisional ballots. At that point, the RNC and the state GOP appealed to the Keystone State Supreme Court.
Read more: PA Supreme Court upholds appeals decision overtaking absentee voters with provisional ballots
Following the ruling, the Pennsylvania Republican Party and the RNC filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. My colleague at sister site Townhall, Sarah Arnold, picks up the story from there:
Just four days before the presidential election, the GOP and RNC’s emergency appeal asking the higher court to temporarily stay a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that ordered the state not to count mail-in ballots with missing or incorrect dates was rejected.
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito said that while it was an issue of “significant importance” and there was no significant disagreement, the Supreme Court had several reasons why it could not intervene so behind schedule in the election process.
Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a joint statement that the case was “a matter of significant importance.” But they wrote: “Even if we agreed with the applicants’ federal constitutional argument (an issue on which I cannot express an opinion at this time), we would not be able to prevent the consequences they feared.”
In a joint statement After the court’s ruling, Harris campaign spokesman Michael Tyler and Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Rosemary Boeglin said:
“In Pennsylvania and across the country, Trump and his allies are trying to make it harder for your vote to be counted, but our institutions are stronger than his shameful attacks. “Friday’s decision confirms that every eligible voter has the right to vote.” means the right to have your vote counted.”
RedState will provide updates on this developing story as necessary.
Read on the topic: GOP victory for election integrity with up-to-date PA Supreme Court ruling on misdated mail-in ballots
