Pennsylvania state law requires mail-in ballots to be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, but the state’s supreme court ruled today that mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by the following Friday at 5:00 p.m. must be counted.
Pennsylvania GOP senator Pat Toomey blasted the decision in a statement:
“Once again, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has decided that laws have no meaning. The current state election statute, which was signed by Governor Wolf less than a year ago, is clear that mail-in ballots must be received by 8:00 PM on Election Day in order to be counted.
“Today’s blatantly political decision to violate the law irresponsibly heightens the risk that our state will experience a lengthy, disputed, and controversial outcome in what is expected to be an extremely close presidential race.”