Republicans ask Pennsylvania court to put on hold decision on mail ballot envelope rules

Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The national and state Republican parties are appealing a Pennsylvania court ruling that would relax the rules for mail ballots. The GOP filed an emergency request on Thursday that asks the state Supreme Court to put on hold a lower-court ruling that says the envelopes voters use to send in mail ballots don’t need to have been accurately hand-dated. The Republican groups say that if the high court doesn’t stay the Commonwealth Court order, it should at least modify it to say it’s not in force for the voting that concludes on Tuesday. The Commonwealth Court ruled Wednesday that 69 mail ballots should be counted in two Philadelphia special elections last month.