Pennsylvania Court Strikes Down ‘No-Excuse’ Mail-In Voting Law

Contact Your Elected Officials

The Pennsylvania court struck down the state’s mail-in voting law on Friday and said the Pennsylvania Constitution requires voters to cast their ballots in person unless they meet specific requirements.

“No-excuse mail-in voting makes the exercise of the franchise more convenient and has been used four times in the history of Pennsylvania,” wrote commonwealth court judge Mary Hannah Leavitt (pdf) in an opinion. “Approximately 1.38 million voters have expressed their interest in voting by mail permanently.”

“If presented to the people, a constitutional amendment… is likely to be adopted. But a constitutional amendment must be presented to the people” before measures like Act 77 can take effect, the court wrote Friday. Act 77 was passed in the Pennsylvania Legislature and signed into law in 2019 by Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf.

Three Republican judges opted to strike down the law over the dissent of two Democratic judges.

Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration will most likely appeal the ruling. A spokesperson for Wolf’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Following the 2020 election, Republicans criticized Pennsylvania court decisions, including one that allowed mail-in ballots to be counted up to three days after the 2020 election so as long as they were postmarked by Election Day.

“Big news out of Pennsylvania, great patriotic spirit is developing at a level that nobody thought possible,” former President Donald Trump said in a statement that celebrated the Pennsylvania ruling on Friday. “Make America Great Again!”

More than 2.6 million Pennsylvanians voted via the mail during the 2020 general election, according to the Pennsylvania elections agency. The figure includes both absentee voting and no-excuse mail-in voting.

In August 2021, 14 Republican members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives filed a lawsuit against the mail-in voting law, saying it was unconstitutional. Bradford County Commissioner Doug McLinko in September 2021 filed a similar legal challenge before the two suits were consolidated into one.

Later, the Democratic National Committee and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party intervened to defend the law in tandem with Wolf’s administration.

The Democratic National Committee and the Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of State’s office did not immediately issue comments after the court’s ruling on Friday.

On Thursday, meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to hear a separate case from Lehigh County Judge candidate Zachary Cohen over undated mail-in ballots. The court upheld a Commonwealth Court ruling that some 257 undated mail-in ballots need to be discarded.

Adam Bonin, Cohen’s lawyer, told the Allentown Morning Call that his client is “disappointed in the court’s ruling, not only because of it’s impact on Zac, but especially for all those voters who deserve to be heard in this election.” Cohen is 74 votes behind Republican David Ritter in the race.

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Liberal Democrat Content Creators are Despicable Defamationers

What should Christian conservatives do when confronted with false information to the point of bearing false witness against someone like President Trump?

Ben Shapiro Warning Me Not to Listen to InfoWars Makes Me Want to Listen 10x Harder

This rant from Ben Shapiro reveals more about him and his low opinion of his audience to whom he peddles his slop than it does about its target, Alex Jones.

Epstein’s Aftermath: Planes, Blames, and Autocrats

There are so many real, honest great journalists reporting the news on the internet these days that some really good content gets overlooked.

Why the Trump Administration is Sitting on the Epstein Files

President Trump, AG Bondi, and FBI Dir. Patel have the advantage over us in that they see the big overall picture when it comes to the Epstein List.

Trump’s “Major Statement” On Russia Is A Clumsy Attempt To Thread The Needle

The “major statement” on Russia Trump hyped up turned out to be an attempt to thread the needle between escalating US involvement in Ukrainian and walking away from it.

7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Alaska Coast; Tsunami Warning Issued

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of southern Alaska prompting federal officials to issue a tsunami warning.

University of Southern California Faces $300 Million in Federal Funding Cuts, Staff Layoffs

USC faces potential revenue loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds and staff layoffs, amid "volatile external environment,” Interim President says.

Florida AG Threatens Lawsuit Against US Masters Swimming Over Male Participation in Female Events

FL AG James Uthmeier, in a letter to CEO of U.S. Masters Swimming, called for immediate end to male athletes participating in female competitions by organization.

The Market’s Focus Returns to Tariffs

Surging tariff revenue is expected to help the Treasury Department better manage the federal government budget deficit.

EU’s Trade Chief to Meet With US Officials as EU Braces for Tariff Showdown

The EU’s trade leader is headed to Washington for face-to-face negotiations with the Trump admin, a spokesman for the economic bloc said.

Nvidia’s AI Chip Sales to China Tied to Rare Earths Trade Talks, Says Commerce Secretary

USs’ decision to allow Nvidia to resume selling China AI chips is tied to recent trade negotiations over rare-earth exports, according to Sec Lutnick.

Trump Says US–Vietnam Trade Deal Nearly Complete

President Trump said the trade deal between the United States and Vietnam was nearly complete, the same day he announced a new deal with Indonesia.

Washington Announces Investigation Into Brazilian Trade Practices, Digital Payment Services

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the opening of an investigation into Brazil’s “unfair” trading practices on July 15, 2025.
spot_img

Related Articles