Democratic Judge Questions Differing Ballot-Curing Rules Across Pennsylvania

As political party attorneys and the state of Pennsylvania argued over “curing” election ballots on Thursday, the Democratic judge hearing the case suggested that differing county rules could undermine confidence in election integrity.

Judge Ellen Ceisler, one of two Democrats on the seven-member Commonwealth Court, conducted the hearing in which Republican Party lawyers pressed their case against Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman (D). Per litigation filed three weeks ago, the plaintiffs contended that the court should not permit the secretary to let counties notify absentee or mail-in voters that their ballots contain mistakes that can supposedly be corrected or “cured.” 

Some voters err either by failing to sign or improperly filling out declarations on their ballot envelopes. Others fail to insert their ballot into a secrecy envelope before placing it in the aforementioned envelope. Some Pennsylvania election boards contact these voters and allow them to correct and resubmit their ballots.

Kathleen Gallagher, counsel for the Republican National Committee, told Ceisler that Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Northampton, and Lehigh Counties — all in or near the state’s left-leaning southeast — run afoul of state law when they facilitate ballot curing. She argued that the commonwealth’s election code clearly lists duties that county election boards must perform and contains no mandate to notify voters that they may correct errors concerning their declarations or secrecy envelopes…. (Excerpt from Pennsylvania Star)