Supreme Court Upholds Pennsylvania Ballot Ruling, Major GOP Setback

Supreme Court Allows Counting of Pennsylvania Provisional Ballots. A Pennsylvania state court’s decision to count particular provisional ballots that were rejected because of missing secrecy envelopes or small filing errors has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court

Supreme Court
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, a person passes the voter services van in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, which is part of Montgomery County. (Photo by Matt Rourke/AP)

The Republican Party, which had urgently appealed to exclude these ballots from the final count, has suffered a serious blow with this decision, which was made just four days before the election.

Supreme Court Upholds: Legal Background and GOP’s Argument Against the Ruling

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the state GOP argued that counting these provisional ballots could result inirreparable harmto election integrity. 

They requested the court either to block the decision or at least to segregate these ballots until further verification could be conducted

Voters fill out their ballot
On November 7, 2023, Election Day in Columbus, Ohio, voters cast their ballots. According to US media, Ohioans voted on November 7, 2023, to include the right to an abortion in the Republican-controlled state’s constitution. This could be a sign of a topic that would likely be central to the presidential election the following year. (Source: Getty Images)

A local electoral body in Butler County had disqualified provisional ballots on technical grounds, which sparked the legal fight. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that counting these votes is a statutory right to avoid disenfranchising eligible voters.

Implications of the Supreme Court’s Decision

Although estimates differ, some predict that this decision could affect thousands of ballots. According to a recent study, approximately 1.1% of mail-in ballots in previous elections did not contain secrecy envelopes, which might have a major impact on the close Pennsylvania race. Republicans have filed many court cases in crucial swing states to address what they see as issues connected to election integrity, and this decision follows their activities.

Supporters at a campaign
At a Donald Trump campaign rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, supporters stand. (Getty Images/Jeff Swensen for The Washington Post)

Public and Legal Reactions to the Decision

​The GOP, on the other hand, sees it as a move that might promote voting fraud and procedural mistakes. The enormous stakes in Pennsylvania continue to dominate the national electoral landscape as election day draws near.

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