(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A federal court has mandated that Pennsylvania must count all mail-in ballots, even those with missing or incorrect dates, marking a pivotal decision ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
This Tuesday ruling, led by U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter, emerged amid a struggle within the local Democratic Party to bolster their campaign footing.
Baxter’s verdict favored a lawsuit spearheaded by civil rights groups, many of which are commonly associated with left-leaning ideologies, including the NAACP, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and Make the Road PA.
In insane decision, leftist federal judge bans Pennsylvania from not counting UNDATED (or incorrectly dated) mailed in ballots! This activist decision is not only wrong but invites fraud and will undermine public confidence in the election outcome in key battleground state…
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) November 22, 2023
Baxter contended that the act of discarding or disqualifying ballots due to improper or missing date markings violated federal civil rights, asserting that such actions were essentially “erecting immaterial roadblocks” to voting.
This order effectively overturns a 2019 state election law, empowering county boards to reject mail-in ballots lacking accurate exterior envelope dates. The court deemed this law as violating the Materiality Provision of the Civil Rights Act.
Baxter rebuffed the arguments presented by the defendants, including Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, a Republican, and the 67 county boards of elections.
Earlier today: “A federal court has directed Pennsylvania counties to accept mail ballots that a voter has failed to date or misdated, a long-awaited decision that could affect thousands of ballots in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.” https://t.co/Jkws9jbrWh
— Al Schmidt (@Commish_Schmidt) November 22, 2023
Schmidt defended the law, contending that it did not impede the right to vote but rather sought to address procedural aspects. Notably, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had upheld this law before the 2022 midterm elections.
According to a report from the leftist Democracy Docket, ballots affiliated with the Democratic Party comprised approximately 68% of the discarded ballots during the 2022 elections. This resulted in around 7,600 uncounted mail-in ballots across a dozen counties, the outlet lamented.
BREAKING: A Federal Judge in Pennsylvania has ruled that undated mail in ballots can be counted in the 2024 election despite a state law that clearly prohibits it. This means mail in ballots with no dates or incorrect dates will be counted
This is yet another example of the… pic.twitter.com/Ij8DO8y5mX
— George (@BehizyTweets) November 22, 2023
This ruling comes two months after Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat and staunch ally of unleashed a new universal voter registration system, a move celebrated by the Democrats. The system automatically registers all residents possessing a state ID or driver’s license to cast their votes.
Moreover, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party finds itself grappling with a precarious financial situation, as outlined in a critical report by Politico. The report depicts the party as being in a state of disarray, confronting minimal funds in preparation for both the 2023 and 2024 elections.
