US Supreme Court allows Pennsylvania provisional ballots

Justices reject emergency appeal from Republican National Committee to block provisional ballots counting

The US Supreme Court has denied a Republican request to block the counting of provisional ballots in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state for the upcoming presidential election.

This ruling could impact thousands of voters as they prepare to cast their ballots in the closely watched race between former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

On Friday, the justices rejected an emergency appeal from the Republican National Committee and the Pennsylvania Republican Party, which sought to overturn an October 23 ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

That ruling had favored two voters from Butler County who wanted their provisional ballots counted after their mail-in ballots were rejected for lacking required secrecy envelopes.

The Supreme Court typically does not provide detailed reasoning for its emergency decisions, but its denial of the Republican request allows the state court’s ruling to stand.

This ruling enables voters whose mail-in ballots were improperly filled out to cast provisional ballots on Election Day, which will be counted once their eligibility is confirmed.

Michael Tyler, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, stated that the decision reflects a commitment to ensuring that every eligible voter has their voice heard, emphasizing that attempts to undermine voting rights will not succeed.

Election experts note that this ruling could apply to potentially thousands of provisional ballots.

The Pennsylvania court's decision allows individuals who discover their mail-in ballots have been rejected due to technical issues to still participate in the election process.

Ben Geffen, an attorney with the Public Interest Law Center, hailed the ruling as a victory for democracy, stating that it ensures qualified voters are not disenfranchised due to minor errors on their mail ballots.

He stressed the importance of inclusive voting processes.

Republicans, however, argued that allowing these provisional ballots to be counted could endanger the integrity of the election, claiming that “tens of thousands of votes” could be in question.

They contended that voters with defective mail-in ballots should not be granted another chance to vote through provisional ballots, as it could undermine established election laws.

In a related development, a Pennsylvania judge ordered the Erie County Board of Elections to issue ballots for approximately 17,000 voters who had not received their requested mail-in ballots.

This order came after the state's Democratic Party filed a lawsuit against the county, alleging significant delays and hardships that could violate the rights of voters.

Judge David Ridge mandated that early voting be extended until November 4, allowing the county to use an overnight delivery service to send replacement ballots to voters.

His ruling also addressed concerns about duplicate ballots sent to voters, ensuring that those affected could cancel their previous ballots and cast new ones.

As Election Day approaches, Pennsylvania remains a crucial state with 19 Electoral College votes. Both Trump and Harris are vying for support in a state that could determine the outcome of the presidential race.

So far, over 1.6 million voters have cast their ballots in Pennsylvania, with more than 25,000 participating in Erie County alone, which has 177,000 registered voters.