Supreme Court Upholds Mail-In Ballot Provision; Key Decision in PA Election Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a Republican request to block the counting of provisional ballots in Pennsylvania. The ruling supports voters whose mail-in ballots lacked mandatory elements. This decision may impact thousands of votes in the crucial battleground state during the presidential election.

The United States Supreme Court has rejected a Republican bid to halt the counting of provisional ballots for voters in Pennsylvania who erred on their mail-in ballots. This decision could influence the outcome of the presidential election in the battleground state by affecting thousands of votes.

The Republican National Committee and Republican Party of Pennsylvania sought to suspend an earlier Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that allowed certain provisional ballots to be counted, arguing that state election law was improperly altered too close to the election. However, the Supreme Court, as is typical in urgent cases, did not provide an explanation for its decision.

The case emerged from a challenge by two voters in Butler County whose mail-in ballots were rejected for not including required secrecy envelopes. The state Supreme Court's ruling enables voters facing similar issues to cast provisional ballots on Election Day, ensuring their participation in the democratic process.

(With inputs from agencies.)