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Pennsylvania election officials warn of 2000 Florida redux
Politico
A court ruling on so-called naked ballots "is going to cause electoral chaos" in one of the nation’s biggest swing states.
By HOLLY OTTERBEIN
09/22/2020 09:07 PM EDT
PHILADELPHIA — “Naked ballots” are fast shaping up as 2020’s equivalent of hanging chads.
After the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that mail-in ballots sent without a proper envelope — known as naked ballots — cannot be counted, Pennsylvania election officials are sounding the alarm that upwards of 100,000 votes could be tossed out in November in this key battleground state.
In 2016, Pennsylvania saw one of the closest finishes in the nation: Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton here by only 44,000 votes. Now, the prospect that more than twice that number of ballots might be disqualified is sending shudders through the Democratic establishment in a state where recent polls show Joe Biden’s lead is within single digits.
The decision on naked ballots was immediately seen as a victory for Trump’s campaign and state Republicans: They’ve argued in a lawsuit against Pennsylvania that such votes should be tossed out. Democrats countered with their own suit in state court that made the case they should be tallied. Because Democrats are planning to vote by mail at much higher rates than Republicans this year, any rejection of ballots without the necessary envelopes is likely to harm Biden’s campaign more than Trump’s.
snip
A court ruling on so-called naked ballots "is going to cause electoral chaos" in one of the nation’s biggest swing states.
By HOLLY OTTERBEIN
09/22/2020 09:07 PM EDT
PHILADELPHIA — “Naked ballots” are fast shaping up as 2020’s equivalent of hanging chads.
After the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that mail-in ballots sent without a proper envelope — known as naked ballots — cannot be counted, Pennsylvania election officials are sounding the alarm that upwards of 100,000 votes could be tossed out in November in this key battleground state.
In 2016, Pennsylvania saw one of the closest finishes in the nation: Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton here by only 44,000 votes. Now, the prospect that more than twice that number of ballots might be disqualified is sending shudders through the Democratic establishment in a state where recent polls show Joe Biden’s lead is within single digits.
The decision on naked ballots was immediately seen as a victory for Trump’s campaign and state Republicans: They’ve argued in a lawsuit against Pennsylvania that such votes should be tossed out. Democrats countered with their own suit in state court that made the case they should be tallied. Because Democrats are planning to vote by mail at much higher rates than Republicans this year, any rejection of ballots without the necessary envelopes is likely to harm Biden’s campaign more than Trump’s.
snip
more on this important issue at link