(PatriotNews.net) – In a win for the GOP, a Pennsylvania judge ruled in favor of the Butler County Board of Elections, which had decided not to allow voters to “cure” their mail-in ballots if they lacked inner secrecy envelopes. These so-called “naked ballots” are a key issue in mail-in voting, as Pennsylvania law requires that all mail-in ballots be placed inside an inner envelope to ensure voter privacy.
The ruling is considered a significant victory for election integrity by the GOP.
Here’s what happened: Before Election Day, some voters sent in their mail-in ballots without the required inner envelope. When the Butler County Board of Elections received these ballots, they rejected them because they didn’t follow the rules. On Election Day, those same voters tried to fix their mistake by submitting provisional ballots. However, the board chose not to count those provisional ballots either.
Judge S. Michael Yeager supported the board’s decision, writing that their actions were within the law. He emphasized that it’s up to the voter to make sure they follow all the steps to have their mail-in ballot counted. The judge explained that while the board’s policies aim to protect the secrecy of votes and uphold deadlines, they also try to give voters the best chance to have their votes counted.
Earlier, the Republican National Committee and Pennsylvania GOP had filed a petition to Judge Yeager, arguing that the law in Pennsylvania is clear: ballots without secrecy envelopes should not be counted. They criticized the Department of State for encouraging voters to “cure” their ballots by voting provisionally if their original mail-in ballot was rejected for lacking the inner envelope.
The Republicans argued that there is no right under Pennsylvania law to fix mail-in ballots that don’t have secrecy envelopes. They stressed that it’s crucial to follow the Election Code as it stands, to ensure fairness and to protect the rights of voters and candidates under the law.
