Should we count late ballots in PA?

The big issue in Pennsylvania right now is ballots that came in after election night and whether or not they should be counted.

State Court said yes allow ballots to come in for three extra days.

Supreme Court decided not to overturn this. But they still may change their minds.

I think late ballots should not be counted as per the state legislature....... Unless the ballots were late due to the fault of the postal service.

It would be undemocratic to punish a voter who did everything right just because the postal service screwed up.

when it comes to elections we should always err on the side of democracy and not voter suppression and disenfranchisement.

 

If the Supreme curt is going to interject itself into states election rules, shouldn't they do it before an election not after ????

 

They didn't interject, it was appealed up to them. The simple fact is that it was PA law that stated this so if they can ignore it then every state can open up voting again as State law will be irrelevant.

They should not allow it and recommend that states add more detail to their election laws.

 

yes, they definitely should.

the lawsuits should have already happened.

to sue ONLY because you dont like the outcome, is pathetic.

 

to punish voters who sent their votes in on time, just cause the postal service screwed up, would be undemocratic.

i say count all votes that would have arrived on time, if not for USPS screw ups.

 

Dirty Donald is actually protesting very small voter margins almost identical to those HE RECEIVED IN 2016 in Wisconsin,Michigan and Pa. So what he is saying is Hillary should have refused to accept his win, and thrown a hissy fit like he has ??

 

even if EVERY late ballot in PA is thrown out, dirty donny still loses.

hmmm......maybe its time he just let go

 

Nope ,,, right in the Constitution, State Legislatures determine the rules. The Governor tried to get the rules changed to support his voter fraud initiative. The Legislature said NOPE. He did it anyway in violation of both PA Law and the Constitution and the PA Supreme Court also violated the law by saying breaking Federal Law is OK. Some people should be going to jail.

 

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdoc...Type=HTM&yr=2020&sessInd=0&smthLwInd=0&act=12

PA election law don't seem to discuss what is to be done with late absentee ballots.

that, is a problem.

 

it is smarter to use the post mark date, not the delivery date, but I am prepared to let voters who get screwed by a poorly worded statute, take it up with their legislators. We will see a lot of voter reform bills hitting hopper room floors this next year to clean up problem areas.

 

No ambiguity:
Pennsylvania law requires that mail ballots be received by county elections officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Wolf tried to get the Legislature change the law and they declined. End of story.

 

The statute is clear. Make sure your ballot is in the hands of election officials by 8PM election day. If I showed up late to my precinct to vote, I would not be allowed in. That is not a poorly worded statute.

 

nowhere does state election law state this.

 

Well I am beginning to get a jist on this problem. Can you link to the actual statute itself?

 

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdoc...Type=HTM&yr=2020&sessInd=0&smthLwInd=0&act=12

The official absentee voter ballot shall state that [a voter] an elector who receives an absentee ballot pursuant to section 1301 and whose voted ballot is not timely received by the commission and who, on election day, is capable of voting at the appropriate polling place may only vote on election day by provisional ballot[.] unless the elector brings the elector's absentee ballot to the elector's polling place, remits the ballot and the envelope containing the declaration of the elector to the judge of elections to be spoiled and signs a statement subject to the penalties under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities) to the same effect.

The official mail-in voter ballot shall state that a voter who receives a mail-in ballot under section 1301-D and whose voted mail-in ballot is not timely received may only vote on election day by provisional ballot[.] unless the elector brings the elector's mail-in ballot to the elector's polling place, remits the ballot and the envelope containing the declaration of the elector to the judge of elections to be spoiled and signs a statement subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities) to the same effect.



Seems pretty clear according to PA voting law, that late absentee and mail-in ballots can be counted under certain circumstances.

 

If these were all military votes would you be saying trash them because the post office delayed them?

 

PA election law allows late absentee and mail-in ballots, under certain conditions.

considering Covid I think one could argue that if the ballots are legit in all other ways, they can be counted, within a reasonable time frame.

obviously a vote mailed after election day should not be counted. As long as postmarked by Election Day I think its fair to count then, if they are kosher in all other ways.

 

Exactly.

What a joke.

Poor Trump, Tilting at Windmills.

He makes Don Quixote seem sane.

 

Reasonable, this will not stand with trump supporters though.

 

So will the result of NC also be thrown out as they are allowing Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be accepted until Nov. 12. Similarly with Mississippi (Nov 10), Iowa (9th), Ohio (13th) and others. Is there something I'm not understanding?

 

You're taking the side of Pennsylvania. They want to count ballots postmarked in time but delivered late. Team Trump wants ballots delivered late ignored irregardless of postmark.

 

I personally think that all late ballots will be thrown out after appeal to SC. Whether it changes the result or not is another matter.

 

I'll give you that ,,, since some of these guys did vote in 2020:

 

I was with you for awhile. Help me with the rest.

Granting emergency extensions is a valid authority of a court. How is PA SC granting an emergency exception, due to shenanigans at the USPS, breaking federal law?

 

You cannot change the rules after the fact. law does not work like that. Many states allow postal votes received after the election date to count, going back throughout history.