Though November's election has pretty much been a red wave, incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey has an outside shot of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat once all mail-in ballots (MIBs) and provisional votes are counted and re-counted. Both the state and Republican National Committee are taking no chances. They have sued all 67 counties in the state supreme court and have asked that King's Bench powers be exercised to prevent undated MIBs from being counted, as some counties have already done.
On Oct 5, the Pa Supremes ruled it “will neither impose nor countenance substantial alterations to existing laws and procedures during the pendency of an ongoing election.” On November 1, it specifically ordered that the mandatory date requirement “shall … be applied to the November 5, 2024 General Election.”
Republicans argue that changes in election rules adopted close in time to Election Day “themselves result in voter confusion and consequent incentive to remain away from the polls.”
Six counties (Bedford, Blair, Butler, Clarion, Susquehanna and Tioga) have filed responses agreeing with Republicans that undated or misdated MIBs must be rejected.
Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties have responded that rejecting these votes would violate the Free and Equal elections clause of the Pa. Constitution. They also argue that King's Bench powers are unnecessary because this matter can be resolved through the normal appellate process.
Senator Bob Casey has intervened to state that undated ballots must be counted. And the Pa Department of State has asked to file an amicus brief.
These are just the latest salvos in a judicial system that has failed to respond conclusively to the question whether undated MIBs should count fior several years now.
1 comment:
Failed to respond conclusively? The PA Supreme Court was very clear on this.
Casey is a sleaze bag, and democrats are once again trying to steal an election.
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