The Commonwealth Court in Pennsylvania issued a ruling on Friday that put a stop to the enforcement of a requirement for voters to include accurate handwritten dates on envelopes used to submit mail-in ballots. The ruling, which was a 4-1 decision, was made in response to a lawsuit filed by left-leaning groups. The court found that disqualifying voters for failing to include the date violated the state constitution’s clause for “free and equal” elections. This decision is expected to prevent thousands of Pennsylvania votes from being thrown out in the upcoming November election, which is crucial in the hotly contested presidential race between former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris.
The number of mail-in ballots that could potentially be disqualified for lacking accurate exterior envelope dates is relatively small compared to the total number of votes cast in the state. However, evidence presented in the litigation suggested that older voters were more likely to have their ballots rejected for this reason. Given that more Democrats than Republicans vote by mail in Pennsylvania, this ruling could have implications on the outcome of the election. The dissenting judge criticized the majority for ignoring legal precedent and changing the interpretation of the state law that expanded mail-in voting in 2019.
The case was brought against the secretary of state and election boards in Philadelphia and Allegheny County, with support from Democratic Party groups. Governor Josh Shapiro praised the ruling as a victory for Pennsylvanians’ fundamental right to vote. The decision could prompt changes in guidance to counties regarding the handling of mail-in ballots. The Department of State had previously advised counties to print envelopes with the year “2024” already included, leaving voters to add the month and day. The attorney representing the Republican Party groups indicated that they would appeal the decision, disagreeing with the court’s interpretation of the constitutionality and relevance of the dating provisions on envelopes.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit included various political and community organizations, arguing that county elections officials could determine if ballots were submitted on time through scanning and timestamping. The ACLU of Pennsylvania, which assisted in representing the plaintiffs, praised the ruling as a win for voters and democracy. They emphasized that no one should lose their right to vote over a simple human error that does not impact the timeliness of the ballot’s submission. This decision is likely to have implications on the upcoming election in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state where every vote counts.
