South Lancaster News

House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler has expressed strong opposition to a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling regarding provisional ballots. The court's 4-3 decision allows voters who have incorrectly returned their mail-in ballots to vote provisionally, which Cutler argues could lead to double voting.

Cutler cited the Commonwealth Court's earlier opinions, emphasizing that election laws aim to ensure each voter casts only one vote per election. He criticized the Supreme Court for what he perceives as overstepping its authority and interfering with legislative powers. "It’s clear that the Democrat-controlled Supreme Court wants to provide some voters in our Commonwealth with more than one ‘opportunity to vote,’" he stated.

The timing of the ruling has also been a point of contention, as it was issued just days before in-person voting and after mail-in voting had commenced. Cutler noted this violates an earlier court statement from October 5, which asserted that substantial changes would not be made during ongoing elections. "That sound principle... lasted 18 days," he remarked.

Justice Mundy, in her dissenting opinion, labeled the ruling as unconstitutional for overriding existing laws on ballot counting procedures. The dissenting justices highlighted potential confusion on election day, arguing that all mail-in voters could now vote provisionally due to the nature of ballot processing.

Cutler concluded by reaffirming his stance on maintaining electoral integrity: "One person, one vote, one time." He emphasized that once a voter submits a mail-in ballot or votes in person, their participation is complete according to current law. Cutler called for secure and timely election results and accused the court of eroding public trust through what he describes as partisan actions.