A state court is halting enforcement of a requirement that voters include accurate, handwritten dates on envelopes used to submit mail-in ballots.
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A state court Friday halted enforcement of a requirement that voters include accurate, handwritten dates on envelopes used to submit mail-in ballots, a ruling likely to keep several thousand Pennsylvania votes from being thrown out in the November election.
The number of mail-in ballots that might otherwise be disqualified for lacking accurate exterior envelope dates is comparatively small in a state where more than 6 million votes will be cast this fall, perhaps exceeding 10,000.
The case was brought against the secretary of state and the election boards in Philadelphia and Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh.
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on social media that the ruling was “a victory for Pennsylvanians’ fundamental right to vote.".
They had argued the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had “already rejected similar arguments regarding the constitutionality of and the meaningless underlying the dating provisions" in prior cases regarding envelope dates, Ceisler wrote.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania, which helped represent the plaintiffs, hailed the decision as a win for voters and democracy. »
