Pennsylvania court reverses ruling allowing misdated mail-in ballots

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Friday that mail-in ballots with incorrect dates will not be counted in November, reversing a previous ruling from a lower court in the battleground state.

The decision from last month named only Philadelphia and Allegheny counties, which the state’s Supreme Court argued the lower ruling lacked jurisdiction.

“HUGE election integrity win in Pennsylvania,” GOP Chair Michael Whatley wrote in a post on the social platform X.

The court’s reversal is a win for the Republicans, but received some backlash from the state’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which labeled misdated ballots a “common trivial error on the external envelopes” in a press release Friday.

“Today’s procedural ruling is a setback for Pennsylvania voters, but we will keep fighting for them. These eligible voters who got their ballots in on time should have their votes counted and voices heard,” ACLU of Pennsylvania attorney Steve Loney said in a statement. “The fundamental right to vote is among the most precious rights we enjoy as Pennsylvanians, and it should take more than a trivial paperwork error to take it away.”

Ten community organizations sued Pennsylvania State Secretary Al Schmidt (R) and election officials in the two named counties in state court, according to the ACLU’s press release.

Three of the seven justices dissented against the reversal.

Pennsylvania is a crucial state in the upcoming election, polling data aggregated by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ showing that it’s likely going to be a toss-up between Vice President Harris, who holds a lead of less than 1 percent over former President Trump in the state.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.