Official reports and analysis from the Pennsylvania state election board and major news outlets

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.