Politics

Pennsylvania Can’t Reject Ballots Over Mismatched Signature, State Supreme Court Rules

(Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Brianna Lyman News and Commentary Writer
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Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled Friday that counties cannot reject mail-in ballots for mismatched signatures.

“County boards of elections are prohibited from rejecting absentee or mail-in ballots based on signature comparison conducted by county election officials or employees, or as the result of third-party challenges based on signature analysis or comparisons,” the court ruled.

The ruling comes as a win for Democrat Kathy Boockvar, the state’s top election official. In her court filing, Boockvar said rejecting ballots for mismatched signatures would run the risk of disenfranchising voters “on an arbitrary and wholly subjective basis,” according to the Associated Press (AP).

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 17: A sign directs voters to cast their early voting ballots at a satellite polling location on October 17, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With the election only a little more than two weeks away, a new form of in-person early voting by using mail ballots, has enabled millions of voters to cast their ballots. President Donald Trump won the battleground state of Pennsylvania by only 44,000 votes in 2016, the first Republican to do so since President George Bush in 1988. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 17: A sign directs voters to cast their early voting ballots at a satellite polling location on October 17, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

State Attorney General Josh Shapiro called the decision a “win” for voters, according to CBS Philly. (RELATED: Trump Campaign Sues Philadelphia Board Of Elections Over Poll Watching)

“Voters who use a mail-in ballot have their identity verified in the initial application, often using a drivers’ license number. Pennsylvania’s voter identification system is safe and secure. We are protecting every eligible vote and ensuring each is counted. Make your plan to vote and we will keep doing our work to make sure your voice is heard,” Shapiro said.

The Trump campaign sued Pennsylvania in June over a 2019 law that expanded mail-in voting options to allow anyone to vote by mail without providing a reason, according to The Hill.