Cleared path for 9,000 votes: US Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to block provisional ballots in Pennsylvania

The Supreme Court on Friday denied an emergency appeal from Republicans in Pennsylvania, solidifying a decision to count provisional ballots for voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected.

The ruling upholds a Pennsylvania Court decision that election officials must accept these ballots, marking a win for voting-rights advocates who sought this measure, particularly in Republican-controlled counties.

Voting rights groups argued that allowing provisional ballots would ensure voters who made minor mistakes with mail-in ballots, such as missing signatures or dates, would not be disenfranchised.

According to state data, approximately 9,000 ballots of the over 1.6 million returned had been flagged for such errors as of Thursday.

Pennsylvania holds significant weight in this year’s presidential election, with 19 electoral votes , and is expected to be a key player in the tight race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. The state’s role was similarly pivotal in 2016 and 2020 when the margin was within tens of thousands of votes.

As Friday marked the last day for voters in Pennsylvania to request mail-in ballots, election offices saw high turnout and long lines. In Erie County, a judge ruled that 15,000 voters who applied for a mail ballot but hadn’t received it could visit the elections office through Monday to get a replacement. Meanwhile, Bucks County in suburban Philadelphia saw lines stretching outside its Doylestown elections office as voters scrambled to apply for ballots ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline.

Nakesha McGuirk, a Democrat from Bensalem, chose to wait despite the lengthy line, saying, “I did not expect the line to be this long. But I’m going to stick it out.” Concerned about her ability to vote on Election Day due to a long commute, McGuirk, a Harris supporter, decided to cast her vote early to avoid any issues. “I figured that rather than run into the risk of not getting home in time to go and vote, that it would be better to just do it this way early,” she added.

Patrick Lonieski, a Republican from Buckingham and a Trump supporter, also opted for the convenience of early voting. “I just want to make sure I get my ballot in and it’s counted,” said Lonieski, 62, who was joined by his son, voting for the first time.

As the 5 p.m. deadline approached, voters pushed to make it inside in time, with one last person dashing to the door as bystanders encouraged her. “Let’s go! Hurry up! You can do it!” someone shouted, and the crowd cheered as she made it just before closing.

This surge in applications came after a Bucks County judge extended the deadline by three days in response to a Trump campaign lawsuit, which claimed that voters faced undue obstacles due to high demand at application-processing offices. The decision helped alleviate delays and frustration among voters seeking to participate in the election.