In a 4-4 tie vote, ‘the Supreme Court will allow Pennsylvania to count ballots received up to three days after the election, rejecting a Republican plea and upholding the a previous state Supreme Court ruling. The ruling will allow election officials to receive and count ballots until Nov. 6, even if they don’t have a clear postmark.’
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh voted against the lower court’s ruling from taking effect.
Republicans, including President Donald Trump’s campaign, have opposed such an extension, arguing that it violates federal law that sets Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November and that such a decision constitutionally belongs to lawmakers, not the courts.
The state Democratic Party and its allies had sought an extension of Pennsylvania’s Election Day deadline to count mailed ballots because Democratic-registered voters are requesting mail ballots at a nearly 3-to-1 ratio over Republicans.
