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U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Rejects GOP Bid, Allows Provisional Voting in Pennsylvania for Rejected Mail Ballots

Nov 1, 2024, 10:50 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously declined a Republican request to block a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that allows voters to submit provisional ballots on Election Day if their mail-in ballots were rejected due to defects. The decision permits Pennsylvania voters whose absentee ballots were improperly cast or contained technical errors—such as lacking a proper envelope—to have their votes counted by submitting provisional ballots. No dissents were noted, though Justice Alito, joined by Justices Thomas and Gorsuch, issued a statement explaining the court's refusal to intervene. The ruling turned aside a last-minute Republican challenge and is expected to expand options for voters whose mail-in ballots are rejected for technical reasons, potentially impacting thousands of votes in the crucial battleground state ahead of Tuesday's presidential election.