The Republican National Committee has asked the Supreme Court to block Pennsylvania election officials from counting mail ballots that were not submitted correctly. In an emergency appeal, the RNC lawyers argue that voters who failed to include their ballot in the proper envelope, a signature, or a date should not have their votes counted. This dispute could affect several thousand votes in Pennsylvania, a pivotal state in the presidential race.
The state’s supreme court recently ruled that voters with paperwork errors could still submit provisional ballots, which would be counted. Voting rights advocates supported this decision, as it ensures that voters are not disenfranchised for minor mistakes. However, Republicans argue that this ruling is a last-minute change in the rules and violates the state’s laws on mail voting.
The RNC warned that tens of thousands of “flatly illegal” provisional votes could be counted if the Supreme Court does not intervene, potentially impacting election results in Pennsylvania, including the U.S. Senate race and the nationwide Presidential Election. The justices are expected to make a decision soon, possibly ordering county officials to set aside provisional votes for separate tallying.
Similar disputes over mail ballots happened in Pennsylvania four years ago, but did not alter the election results. President Biden won Pennsylvania by a significant margin in the last election. The outcome of the current legal battle could affect the results of the upcoming election in the state.
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