Republicans in Pennsylvania have taken legal action as the vote counting continues in the U.S. Senate election between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick. The campaigns are gearing up for a recount and are urging counties to make favorable decisions regarding ballot counting.
The lawsuits filed by the GOP seek to prevent counties from counting mail-in ballots that lack a date on the return envelope or have an incorrect date. These legal actions are likely just the beginning, with the Senate race heading towards a state-mandated recount.
McCormick currently holds a lead of approximately 26,000 votes over Casey, out of more than 6.9 million ballots counted, which falls within the 0.5% margin threshold required to trigger an automatic statewide recount under Pennsylvania law.
The state and national Republican parties have petitioned the state Supreme Court to prohibit counties from counting these ballots, arguing that such decisions violate recent court orders and established legal requirements.
Democratic-majority election boards in Philadelphia, Bucks County, and Centre County have voted to count the disputed ballots, citing a preference for inclusivity in the ballot-counting process.
Meanwhile, McCormick's campaign and the GOP have filed a lawsuit in Bucks County court challenging the decision to count 405 such ballots, a stance that contrasts with McCormick's previous legal position in a 2022 primary contest.
Counties are currently processing tens of thousands of provisional ballots and addressing challenges from various parties. Secretary of State Al Schmidt announced that a statewide recount has been triggered, with over 80,000 uncounted provisional, mail-in, and absentee ballots reported.
The recount must be completed by November 26, involving the scanning of paper ballots through high-speed scanners. Despite the ongoing recount, both Casey and McCormick have been engaged in official Senate activities in Washington this week.
As the legal battles and recount procedures unfold, the outcome of the closely contested Senate race in Pennsylvania remains uncertain.
