County election officials must tell voters when mail-in ballots are rejected, Pa. court says

A Pennsylvania county’s policy preventing voters from finding out that their mail-in ballots had been rejected violated the state constitution and denied them the right to take action to ensure their votes were counted, a state court found Tuesday.

In a 2-1 decision, a Commonwealth Court panel said the Washington County Board of Elections policy denied hundreds of voters in the April 23 primary election the right to cast a ballot and have it counted.

Upholding a Washington County Court of Common Pleas decision, the panel found the Pennsylvania Election Code provides voters the right to challenge a decision by an elections board.

By preventing voters from learning that their ballots were rejected and exercising that right, the Washington County policy “emasculates the Election Code’s guarantees” and violates the due process provisions of the state constitution, Judge Michael Wojcik said in an opinion for the majority. Judge Lori Dumas cast the dissenting vote but did not issue a separate opinion.




https://penncapital-star.com/election-2024/pennsylvania-county-election-officials-must-tell-voters-when-mail-in-ballots-are-rejected-pa-court-says/