There’s now yet another rule and new term for voters to learn if they want their votes counted in Pennsylvania.
A recent ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could cause thousands of votes statewide to be voided or not counted in November’s election. The court found that so-called “naked ballots,” or those that are submitted without secrecy envelopes to hide the identity of the voter, will not be counted.
The ruling interpreted the law that specifies that those voting by mail must place their ballots inside envelopes that shield their name. Those envelopes are then placed in a second envelope which has the address of the voter’s election board.
In 2016, Trump defeated Clinton by only 44,000 votes so there is a major concern that the election results will be heavily disputed and legally challenged if tens of thousands of voters are disenfranchised due to not using the “secrecy” envelope.
The ruling came as part of a broad opinion in a case between Democrats and Republicans in the state that for the most part was chalked up as a win for Democrats. The court sided with Democrats in extending the state’s absentee ballot deadline and approving the use of mail-in ballot drop boxes.
Be sure to watch this 30 second video on properly returning your ballot.
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