The Honest Elections Project filed an amicus brief in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in support of the petitioners in a lawsuit brought against Acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman, who has directed county election officials to count undated ballots in violation of state law.
Jason Snead, Executive Director of Honest Elections Project:
“Pennsylvania law is crystal clear: anyone voting by mail must date and sign their ballot envelopes. Despite that plain requirement, Acting Secretary of State Chapman has decided to ignore the law and to order the counting of undated ballots. That decision jeopardizes the rule of law and, once again, creates widespread confusion over voting rules on the eve of an election in Pennsylvania. As our amicus brief points out, requiring that voters date their ballots poses no risk to voting rights and does not violate the Civil Rights Act. There is no constitutional right to vote by mail, and dating requirements are simple rules that help prevent chaos in mail voting. The Third Circuit had previously held that dating requirement to be “immaterial,” but that ruling was ultimately vacated by the U.S. Supreme Court.
“This commonsense rule asks very little of Pennsylvanians and helps the state prevent late and illegal voting. If adequate safeguards are not in place, elections become subject to various forms of fraud and error that erode voter confidence. Pennsylvanians want their elections safe and secure, not elections that lead to confusion and manipulation. Hopefully, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholds the law so it will be easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
