HARRISBURG (AP) – A federal appeals court says it’s unconstitutional for PA to throw out mail-in ballots simply because the voter did not write an accurate date on the return envelope. The unanimous decision by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Keystone State to stop throwing out such ballots. It’s the latest time in at least a half-dozen cases that a court has told PA to stop throwing out such ballots. However, higher courts have always reinstated the requirement in the heavily litigated matter that has pitted liberals trying to get rid of the requirement against Republicans who defend it. As to an appeal, state and national Republican parties said that they were considering their next steps in the case. Republicans contend that the date requirement is a matter of election security and have pushed for the strictest possible interpretation of state law to disqualify ballots. Still, election officials have told courts that the requirement to write a date on the return envelope has no practical use and no effect on how they determine whether the ballot is valid or received on time.
