Republicans have approached the US Supreme Court regarding a fight over provisional ballots in Pennsylvania, marking the second key voting case brought to the high court just days before the election. The Republican National Committee is urging the justices to block a state court ruling that allows voting provisionally if ballots are missing a secrecy envelope. The RNC claims that this ruling could impact tens of thousands of votes, potentially influencing the outcome of future elections.
The case centers on “naked ballots” that lack the secrecy sleeve, prompting voters to cast provisional ballots. The RNC argues that the state court overstepped its bounds by allowing voters to fix defective ballots and essentially changed the legislature’s clear commands.
Justice Samuel Alito requested a response by Wednesday afternoon, underscoring the urgency of the case. The initial lawsuit involved voters who didn’t enclose their mail-in ballots in secrecy envelopes, leading to rejected votes that election officials refused to remedy.
The state court sided with the voters by permitting the counting of provisional ballots, prompting intervention from the DNC and RNC. With Republicans now appealing to the Supreme Court, the outcome of this case could have significant implications for future elections. While the impact on the current race is uncertain, the litigation could potentially affect hundreds to thousands of ballots. Both parties are pushing for the high court to intervene, setting the stage for a critical legal battle over election rules.
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