State Supreme Court says toss misdated ballots
By Christen Smith | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Misdated ballots shouldn’t count in Pennsylvania, according to a ruling from the state Supreme Court.
The 4-3 ruling reverses a lower court decision that deemed the mandate unconstitutional. In the opinion, the majority rejected weighing in because it was only filed against two of the state’s 67 counties, Allegheny and Philadelphia.
Since the case’s merits were not litigated, the plaintiffs – including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Interest Law Center – are free to refile the complaint.
State law requires mail-in ballots to be signed, dated and returned in a secrecy envelope to be counted. In the 2022 midterm election, roughly 10,000 votes were tossed due to submission errors.
The court’s decision means counties can disqualify thousands of misdated votes in the November general election, where former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remain in a dead heat, according to recent polling.
Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes are the biggest prize among the seven swing states.
