South Lancaster News

House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler has expressed concern over a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on provisional ballots. The court's decision, which was passed with a 4-3 vote, allows voters who have incorrectly returned their mail-in ballots to cast provisional ones.

Cutler criticized the ruling, stating that it undermines the election code's objective of ensuring each elector votes only once per election. He argued that the Democrat-controlled Supreme Court is providing some voters with multiple opportunities to vote, potentially leading to double voting.

The timing of the decision has also been questioned by Cutler. He noted that it was issued just days before most voters would cast their ballots in person and after mail-in voting had commenced. This, he claimed, contradicts an earlier court statement from October 5th that pledged not to alter existing laws during an ongoing election.

Justice Mundy, in her dissenting opinion, described the ruling as unconstitutional. She stated that allowing provisional ballots when mail-in ballots have been received violates existing law and intrudes upon legislative authority as defined by the Federal Constitution.

Cutler warned that this decision could lead to chaos on election day. Dissenting Justices Brobson, Wecht, and Mundy pointed out that all mail-in voters might now be able to vote provisionally since mail-in ballots are only considered received once canvassed post-election.

Emphasizing the principle of "one person, one vote," Cutler stated that once a voter submits a mail-in ballot or votes in person, their right is exercised and completed according to law. He urged for elections that are safe and secure with timely results and accused the Supreme Court of eroding voter trust by rewriting laws.