Democratic election official Diane Ellis-Marseglia of Pennsylvania issued a heartfelt apology on Wednesday for her remarks justifying the counting of faulty ballots in defiance of state Supreme Court rulings. The apology came after facing criticism, death threats, and calls for her resignation. During a county meeting, Ellis-Marseglia admitted to her mistake, claiming her passion got the best of her.
The remarks made by Ellis-Marseglia sparked outrage on social media and were supported by allies of President-elect Donald Trump. She, along with another Democratic commissioner, voted to count misdated mail ballots despite objections from the lone GOP commissioner and the county attorney. This controversy unfolded amid a closely watched recount in Pennsylvania’s US Senate race.
Ellis-Marseglia argued that the ballots should be counted to avoid disenfranchising voters and that court precedent did not matter. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered counties to follow previous rulings on undated ballots in response to a lawsuit from the McCormick campaign. This defiance of court orders has raised concerns about faith in the electoral process.
Republican officials in battleground states came under scrutiny during this election season for potentially disregarding election laws. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro weighed in, emphasizing the importance of following the law to maintain trust in the electoral system. The actions of the Bucks County Board have been criticized, overshadowing the hard work of county election workers and raising doubts about the election process.
Source
Photo credit www.cnn.com