U.S. Supreme Court order could affect Pa. Senate race
Written by Mariella Miller on May 31, 2022
U.S. Supreme Court order could affect Pa. Senate race
By Tyler Pratt
May 31, 2022
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The U.S. Supreme Court is temporarily blocking the counting of some mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania.
The order Tuesday could affect the tight Republican Senate primary between former hedge fund CEO David McCormick and celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz.
The order from Justice Samuel Alito pauses a lower-court ruling in a lawsuit over a disputed 2021 local court election in Lehigh County that would have allowed the counting of mail-in ballots that lack a handwritten date.
The Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia recently ruled that the state election law’s requirement of a date next to the voter’s signature on the outside of return envelopes was “immaterial” and no reason to throw out such ballots.
The 257 Lehigh County ballots in question were not dated on the outer envelope but were received on time.
A Republican judicial candidate, David Ritter, who ran against Democrat Zachary Cohen, sued to have them thrown out.
A lawyer for Ritter told WLVR they plan to appeal to the Supreme Court if a stay was issued.
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