Supreme Court turns away RNC challenge to Pennsylvania ballot ruling
Share this @internewscast.com


The Supreme Court on Friday turned away the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) bid to block Pennsylvania voters’ in-person, do-over option when they return a defective mail ballot. 

The announcement was intended for Monday morning, but the court mistakenly released it early due to what a court spokesperson called an “apparent software malfunction.” 

The order leaves in place a 4-3 ruling from Pennsylvania’s top court that voters can still cast a vote at their polling place on Election Day if their mail-in ballot was rejected for technical reasons, despite a state law saying such votes “shall not be counted” if the mail-in ballot was timely received. The additional option impacts thousands of voters each election cycle.

The legal battle gained attention just ahead of the 2024 election, when President Trump narrowly beat former Vice President Kamala Harris in the key swing state and went on to retake the White House. Just before the election, the Supreme Court declined the RNC’s request to intervene on an emergency basis.

Now returning to the high court on its normal docket, the RNC urged the Supreme Court to use its case as a vehicle to more broadly restrict state courts’ power over elections. 

Two years ago, the high court declined to endorse the maximalist version of the “independent state legislature” theory, which would give state legislatures near-total control over setting federal election rules by preventing state courts from restraining their actions. However, the justices in that decision warned that courts may not “arrogate to themselves the power vested in state legislatures.”

The justices have yet to adopt a specific test to measure when a court crosses that constitutional line, and the RNC cast its petition as a prime opportunity to do so.

“Failure to correct the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s indefensible distortion of the General Assembly’s laws would effectively do just that by sending a strong message that judicial review under the Elections and Electors Clauses is illusory. The result would directly contravene the Constitution,” the RNC’s attorneys at Jones Day wrote in the petition. 

The justices’ refusal to take up the case comes months after the justices turned away a petition arising from Montana asking them to take up similar issues. 

The Pennsylvania case arose after Faith Genser and Frank Matis attempted to vote in the state’s 2024 Democratic primary.  

Initially, the duo planned to vote by mail. But they mistakenly returned “naked” ballots, meaning they didn’t include a required secrecy envelope. 

With their votes invalid, Genser and Matis went to their polling place on the day of the primary election to cast provisional ballots. They sued after the Butler County elections board refused to count those ballots.

The RNC’s petition was joined by the Republican Party of Pennsylvania and the Butler County Board of Elections. 

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Police Chief Confirms Jodi Huisentruit Case Still ‘Absolutely Solvable’ After 30 Years

MASON CITY, Iowa () Despite no arrests in the 30 years since…

Karen Read’s Murder Trial to Be Adapted into a Movie: Latest Updates

BOSTON, Mass. (NewsNation) — Karen Read, recently acquitted of both second-degree murder…

State Supreme Court Delays Pay Increase for Lawmakers

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – A planned pay raise for South Carolina lawmakers…

Debunking Myths & Revealing Facts About Lightning

() — Lightning is the main hazard in any thunderstorm and there…

Supreme Court Decision on Birthright Citizenship: Insights from Local Legal Experts

SAVANNAH, Ga. () – On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a…

Woman Receives Almost $1 Million in Damages After Slipping on Ice at Fort Wayne Panera

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — An Allen County jury awarded a woman…

Florida Could Introduce New Execution Methods: Here’s What You Need to Know

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Starting next month, Florida will officially have the option…

Effingham’s Police Chief Steps Down After a Quarter-Century of Service

EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — Following 25 years of service, Effingham Police Chief…

Celebrating 27 Years of MLK Jettie Rhodes Day in Urbana

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Saturday marks the 27th Annual MLK Jettie Rhodes…

Israeli Airstrikes Claim at Least 62 Lives in Gaza Amid Hopes for a Ceasefire

Overnight and into Saturday, Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of at…

Supreme Court Decision Doesn’t Favor Either Party: Insights from Chris Sununu

() Despite some crowning Friday’s Supreme Court ruling as a victory for President…

“New Law Mandates Panic Buttons in Schools for Safety: ‘Ricky and Alyssa’s Law'”

In Savannah, Georgia, a shooting incident at Apalachee High School highlighted the…