Pennsylvania Court Orders Segregation of Provisional Ballots

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

Source: Bloomberg

A Pennsylvania Court ordered county boards of election in the state to put aside provisional ballots cast on Election Day for voters whose absentee or mail-in ballots were received on time.

A judge of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court said Friday the ballots should be separated to determine the validity of the provisional ballots and whether they can be counted.

The ruling came in a lawsuit brought a group of Pennsylvania Republicans that have been challenging what they believe defective ballots. They have also accused officials in Montgomery County, in the Democratic-leaning Philadelphia suburbs, of helping voters “cure” ballots that should considered invalid.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-06/pennsylvania-court-orders-segregation-of-provisional-ballots?srnd=markets-vp

[BusyBeingBest]

1. So these are people who went in and cast a vote in person

and also previously sent in a ballot by mail that was received by Election Day. I think we don't know the number of this specific type of ballot, do we?

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

5. Here

https://www.votespa.com/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Voting-by-Provisional-Ballot.aspx

[bullimiami]

2. im confused. sounds like the judge just wanted to make sure no provisionals were from

voters that had mail-ins counted.

the rest of the nonsense in the article doesnt seem to have anything to do with this ruling.

[BusyBeingBest]

3. That would only make sense, to keep people from voting twice.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Provisional ballots are always (or should always) held separate from the mass of ballots...

They are questionable ballots where the voter isn't in the database or may otherwise be unable to legally vote. It's not that they can't vote-- just that it's unclear.


A form is filled out at the polling place asking if the person moved, got married, had a name change for other reasons, or whatever. How they deal with this with improper mail-in ballots is unclear.

[DeminPennswoods]

8. Provisional ballots can happen

if the voter says they got an absentee ballot but doesn't bring it with them to the poll to turn in and have nullified. That provisional ballot would have to be checked to make sure there was no absentee ballot already received and counted.

Sometimes voters show up at the wrong poll. We used to try to send them to the right poll, but sometimes they came back and we let them vote on provisional ballot.

There's a lot of odd reasons why provisional ballots are used, but that's what they're for, to ensure the voter is eligible to vote and, if so, that their vote counts.

I don't really see this ruling as being problematic in any way.

[forgotmylogin]

10. Right, I thought that was normal...

Provisional ballots are difficult to process and require research, so they are held unless needed to determine a close race.

[HockeyMom]

6. My County of PA said majority of their Provisional Ballots

were from people who had mail in ballots but decided to vote in person at the polls; resulting in Provisional Ballots. Nothing legally wrong with their ballot, just the law.

Considered that myself but when I researched the law in PA decided to just trust the mail instead.

[we can do it]

7. That makes sense.

[paleotn]

9. Nothing really to see here....

If they have counted a valid absentee or mail-in ballot, any provisional for the same person should be segregated. A minor point that's not going to change one damn thing. No one is voting twice. Repukes are as full of shit as ever.

[EarthFirst]

11. Spoiled ballots happen...

Happened to a close friend of ours who wasn’t confident her absentee ballot would be received.

She was required to vote provisional and they ‘spoiled’ her absentee ballot.

There’s a provision for this. This isn’t fraud.

Another big nothing burger.