WASHINGTON - The RNC and PAGOP are fighting Secretary Al Schmidt's illegal mail ballot instructions to voters. We have filed an original action in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to stop his unlawful actions and force county boards to properly enforce the rules for casting mail ballots. Election officials cannot unilaterally change election laws, which is why the RNC and PAGOP are stepping in.

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley stated: “Secretary Schmidt’s policy ignores the law and has caused great confusion to Pennsylvania voters. This clearly undermines election integrity, diminishes fairness for voters, and threatens to erode public confidence in our elections. We have filed suit to force election officials to follow the law in the Keystone State.”

Background:

• Secretary Al Schmidt issued unlawful communications to voters who do not follow the instructions for completing and returning mail ballots that they may cast a provisional ballot instead.
• In 2020, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that voters who choose to vote by mail did not have the legal right to cure defects in those ballots.
• County boards have nonetheless adopted a patchwork of unlawful curing policies, which are not “uniform throughout the State” in violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution.
• Moreover, it is illegal for the Secretary to tell voters across the Commonwealth that they can cure mail ballot defects without regard to their counties’ curing rules, many of which do not allow curing at all.
• We are standing with the law and the American people. The Secretary and county boards must comply with the Commonwealth’s election laws.

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