Court ruling makes it easier to cheat with mail-in ballots

 DC Daily Journal:

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A federal appeals court in Pennsylvania has thrown a wrench into the state’s election security measures, ruling that mail-in ballots lacking proper dates on their return envelopes cannot be discarded. This decision, handed down on Tuesday by the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals, is the latest chapter in a contentious battle over mail-in voting rules in a state that often decides presidential elections. For hardworking Americans who value fair and secure elections, this ruling raises red flags about the integrity of our voting process.

The court’s decision overturns a Pennsylvania law requiring voters to handwrite a date on the outer envelope of their mail-in ballots. According to the judges, this requirement imposes an “unreasonable burden” on voters with “virtually no benefit for preventing fraud.” But many Americans, particularly those who prioritize election security, see this as a reckless move that opens the door to potential fraud and undermines trust in the system.

“Because of the Commonwealth’s date requirement, an inadvertent typographical error or a flipped number or even a stray pen mark in the date field will remove the ballot contained within the return envelope from consideration. And the voter may never be the wiser,” wrote Judge D. Brooks Smith, a George W. Bush appointee, for a unanimous panel. This statement, while acknowledging the voter’s mistake, ignores the real issue that without clear rules, there’s no way to ensure ballots are legitimate.

The ruling comes amid growing concerns among Americans about the security of mail-in voting. Polls consistently show that a majority of voters—especially conservatives—distrust mail-in ballots compared to in-person voting. A 2023 Rasmussen Reports survey found that 62% of Americans believe in-person voting is more secure, citing risks like lost or mishandled ballots, lack of oversight, and potential for fraud.
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The ruling does not make much sense.  In fact, the ballot could tell the voter to handwrite the date on his mail-in ballot. 

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