RNC Sues PA For Telling Counties To Count Faulty Mail-In Ballots

Shortly after Pennsylvanias acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapmantold countiesthat they should ignore election law and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that effectively said mail-in ballots without proper dates cant be counted, the Republican National Committee announced a lawsuit against the Commonwealth.

As The Federalist previouslyreported, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled a 3rdCircuit Court decision validating undated mail-in ballots. The high court vacated the lower courts ruling, meaning the 3rdCircuits decision can no longer act as precedent in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey the states under the lower courts jurisdiction.

But Chapman decided the Supreme Courts decision provides no justification for counties to exclude ballots based on a minor omission, and we expect that counties will continue to comply with their obligation to count all legal votes. In other words, Chapman advised all of Pennsylvanias 67 counties to continue counting undated mail-in ballots if they so choose, creating countless inconsistencies in how ballots will be tabulated in the upcoming midterm election.

The RNCs joint lawsuit with the Pennsylvania GOP and the National Republican Congressional Committeearguesthat undated mail-in ballots should not be counted because Pennsylvania state law requires voters to properly date their ballots, while also noting that the court has previously affirmed the dating requirement.The RNC has asked the state Supreme Court to order counties to segregate undated and dated ballots if nothing else.

As the Pennsylvania legislature and U.S. Supreme Court have made clear, undated mail-in ballots should not be counted, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a press release. This lawsuit is the latest step in Republican efforts to promote free, fair, and transparent elections in the Keystone State.

Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) hasalso fileda petition with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on behalf of several voters concerned about Chapmans insistence on counting faulty mail-in ballots.

The law of the Commonwealth is clear that undated and incorrectly dated mail-in ballots must not be counted. And after the U.S. Supreme Courts actions last week, no federal law says otherwise, RITE President and CEO Derek Lyons said in a statement. When voters cast a ballot, they should be confident that election officials are protecting the integrity of elections, not abusing their discretion to chase partisan outcomes.

Victoria Marshall is a staff writer at The Federalist. Her writing has been featured in the New York Post, National Review, and Townhall. She graduated from Hillsdale College in May 2021 with a major in politics and a minor in journalism. Follow her on Twitter @vemrshll.

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RNC Sues PA For Telling Counties To Count Faulty Mail-In Ballots