Pennsylvania Supreme Court Tosses Right-Wing Challenge To Absentee Ballot Return Rules

[RandySF]

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed a legal bid from two Republican legislators to alter existing rules about where voters can return their completed absentee ballots for tabulation.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this year, GOP Pennsylvania House Reps. Kathy L. Rapp and David Zimmerman — both election deniers — alleged the state constitution requires absentee voters to return their ballots to their local precinct or polling location instead of their county boards of elections.

The justices issued an unsigned order today concluding that the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court — the venue where the case was originally filed — lacked jurisdiction over the matter. Accordingly, the state Supreme Court voided the Commonwealth Court’s Aug. 23 decision rejecting the lawsuit and ordered it to dismiss the case with prejudice.

Without addressing the merits of the case, today’s ruling effectively upholds state law mandating that voters return their completed absentee ballots to their respective county board of elections office for canvassing. It also ensures that county boards of elections that currently offer drop boxes, drop off sites or satellite election offices may continue accepting absentee ballots at these authorized locations.




https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/pennsylvania-supreme-court-tosses-right-wing-challenge-to-absentee-ballot-return-rules/

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Good

All of this is about a bill that passed almost unanimously in the-then GOP-controlled state legislature (with 1 (R) & 1(D) voting against it).

Now the Republicans have had a conniption fit over something that they created - done mainly so they could get rid of the "straight-party ticket" voting on a ballot (in order to get the (D) governor to sign off on doing that - in exchange for "no-excuse" absentee voting).