HARRISBURG, Pa. - The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a lower appeals court decision Tuesday regarding how rules for mail-in ballots had been applied in a Pennsylvania election, adding an element of uncertainty about voting procedures four weeks ahead of the state's high-stakes elections for governor and U.S.
Senate.Pennsylvania's top-ranking elections official said the decision was under review and that guidance to counties about how to handle such ballots would be updated if necessary.The justices vacated a decision in May by the 3rd U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals that had said mail-in ballots without a required date on the return envelope had to be counted in a 2021 Pennsylvania judge race.The lower court had said state election law’s requirement of a date next to the voter’s signature on the outside of return envelopes was "immaterial." That lower court had said it found no reason to refuse counting the ballots that were set aside in the Nov.
2, 2021, election for common pleas judge in Lehigh County.Those votes were enough to propel the Democrat, Zac Cohen, to victory in the race.