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They never said signatures 'don't have to match'. What they said is they can't be summarily rejected based SOLELY on that. The standard challenge rules still exist on those ballots potentially suspect.
In other words, the signatures don't have to match.
In other words, the signatures don't have to match.
No-they can be challenged. You can't summarily reject it though.
This thread ignores that in its' entirety which is disingenuous to say the least. That's why the PA SC ruled 7-0 the way they did- there exists a process to handle it. The vote can't be summarily 'tossed' by an individual saying "Well I don't think this matches so I'll 86 it."
The ruling protects all candidates from potential partisan shenanigans. Furthermore had the legislators wanted it more detailed- they should have enacted it into law. The PA SC simply (and correctly) applied the law.
No-they can be challenged. You can't summarily reject it though.
This thread ignores that in its' entirety which is disingenuous to say the least. That's why the PA SC ruled 7-0 the way they did- there exists a process to handle it. The vote can't be summarily 'tossed' by an individual saying "Well I don't think this matches so I'll 86 it."
The ruling protects all candidates from potential partisan shenanigans. Furthermore had the legislators wanted it more detailed- they should have enacted it into law. The PA SC simply (and correctly) applied the law.
No. They CANNOT be challenged. Here are the two relevant passages from the ruling:
"We, therefore, grant the Secretary’s petition for declarative relief, and direct the county boards of elections not to reject absentee or mail-in ballots for counting, computing, and tallying based on signature comparisons conducted by county election officials or employees, or as the result of third-party challenges based on such comparisons."
"For all of the aforementioned reasons, we grant the Secretary’s petition for declarative relief, and hold that county boards of elections are prohibited from rejecting absentee or mail-in ballots based on signature comparison conducted by county election officials or employees, or as the result of third-party challenges based on signature analysis and comparisons."
No. They CANNOT be challenged. Here are the two relevant passages from the ruling:
"We, therefore, grant the Secretary’s petition for declarative relief, and direct the county boards of elections not to reject absentee or mail-in ballots for counting, computing, and tallying based on signature comparisons conducted by county election officials or employees, or as the result of third-party challenges based on such comparisons."
"For all of the aforementioned reasons, we grant the Secretary’s petition for declarative relief, and hold that county boards of elections are prohibited from rejecting absentee or mail-in ballots based on signature comparison conducted by county election officials or employees, or as the result of third-party challenges based on signature analysis and comparisons."
The Secretary advised that, if the declaration is signed and the county board is satisfied that the declaration is sufficient, then the absentee or mail-in ballot should be approved for canvassing unless it is challenged in accordance with the Election Code. The Secretary specifically cautioned the county boards of elections in this regard that “[t]he Pennsylvania Election Code does not authorize the county board of elections to set aside returned absentee or mail-in ballots based solely on signature analysis by the county board of elections.” Id.
There is already a mechanism to challenge the ballots. The state is saying the county board can't reject them 'because someone thinks this signature doesn't match'. It goes through the existing legal process. Nothing more, nothing less. A 'third party' refers to persons or organizations outside of the normal process. The national GOP or Democratic Party can't 'nilly willy' challenge bulks of votes- cause it AIN'T THEIR JURISDICTION.
There is already a mechanism to challenge the ballots. The state is saying the county board can't reject them 'because someone thinks this signature doesn't match'. It goes through the existing legal process. Nothing more, nothing less. A 'third party' refers to persons or organizations outside of the normal process. The national GOP or Democratic Party can't 'nilly willy' challenge bulks of votes- cause it AIN'T THEIR JURISDICTION.
Jesus read the danged thing next time.
But the ruling is mail-in ballot can't be challenged or thrown out based on the signature .
They never said signatures 'don't have to match'. What they said is they can't be summarily rejected based SOLELY on that. The standard challenge rules still exist on those ballots potentially suspect.
I highly doubt the state has handwriting experts on hand in sufficient numbers to analyze signatures. Anything suspect goes through a challenge process.
Furthermore this ruling was unanimous with 5 democrats and 2 republican judges.
But all the lefties here told us there was no problem with universal mail in ballots because fraud was not possible due to signature verification...
..... and they can count any ballots that arrive up to 3 days after the election, even if not postmarked by Election Day. Folks this how a coup happens.
Hold on! The information you provide is not fully accurate and the coup threat you promote is an opinion.
Election officials in Pennsylvania can count absentee ballots received by mail as late as the Friday after Election Day so long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3. Ballots could be counted if they were received by 5 p.m. Nov. 6, as long as they were mailed by Election Day, Nov. 3. The few ballots, if any, without a postmark, handled through the USPS would "be presumed to have been mailed by Election Day" unless there was strong evidence to the contrary.
???So now the USPS is against Trump and they will get those Trump hallucinated busloads of illegal immigrants to come to Pa to find ballots and fill them out after the election and hope they don't get postmarked as they rapidly travel through the Trump slowed USPS system in 3 days.
The question of when mail-in ballots need to be received in order to count has been the subject of litigation in others states as well. Many other states have far later deadlines. It has been very clear which states-- and why-- have been targeted by Trump and his campaign. And the date issue is just the latest in a long list of Trumpian tactics to suppress the vote in these key states.
Our Pennsylvania Supreme Court is prohibiting counties from rejecting ballots because the voter’s signature on it may not resemble their signature on their registration form. It was a unanimous decision. Two Republican justices joined five Democratic justices in the decision. This is not a nefarious action. To have local poll workers randomly reject a signature from a voter who registered to vote 50 years ago because it may not match the one on an outer envelope today is what is unfair.
Our state has been under siege by Donald Trump's campaign for over a year. His lawyers and propaganda machine have targeted our commonwealth and inundated the courts with all kinds of suits and challenges and fabricated nonsense with many having no legal basis ...it has made our process absolutely nerve wracking and cost a boatload of money to defend Pennsylvanians against his legal mafia's attempts at voter disenfranchisement and suppression.
Now that they have lost in the courts Trump is calling for his loyalists to intimidate us at the polls and in our election offices. That is illegal but it hasn't stopped the actions of the phony Law & Order Crowd. People are videotaping and harassing Pennsylvanians as they register and drop off ballots etc.
Coup, my eye. This is Trump fear that he cannot win fair and square on his message and record, so he will try to wear everyone down with his bluster and noise and court cases and when that doesn't work, thuggery.
Tragically we are not the only state being targeted. This is a disgusting and wholly un-American assault on we the people and on, yet another, of our democratic processes and norms...by the POTUS.
Last edited by corpgypsy; 10-24-2020 at 03:18 AM..
Reason: clarity
Hold on! The information you provide is not fully accurate and the coup threat you promote is an opinion.
Election officials in Pennsylvania can count absentee ballots received as late as the Friday after Election Day so long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3. Ballots could be counted if they were received by 5 p.m. Nov. 6, as long as they were mailed by Election Day, Nov. 3. Ballots without a postmark would "be presumed to have been mailed by Election Day" unless there was strong evidence to the contrary.
Yeah but the law says and the policy was the mail-in ballot had to be received in the elections office by 8pm election day to be counted, nothing about postmarks. That was the PA Court extending how late ballots could be received in the elections office and counted. And now the election offices aren't allowed to match the signatures.
Yeah but the law says and the policy was the mail-in ballot had to be received in the elections office by 8pm election day to be counted, nothing about postmarks. That was the PA Court extending how late ballots could be received in the elections office and counted. And now the election offices aren't allowed to match the signatures.
Attempts to disenfranchise voters by a paranoid and fearful POTUS is being seen for what it is by the courts. At a tremendous financial and emotional and physical cost to all of us.
Our Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled and so has the US Supreme Court. Period and legal.
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