Pennsylvania Democrats openly admit to counting illegal ballots in McCormick-Casey race
As the contested Pennsylvania Senate race heads towards a $1 million recount, Democratic officials in several blue counties are openly admitting to counting disqualified ballots in defiance of state law and court orders. The Associated Press has called the race for Republican Sen.-elect Dave McCormick, who currently leads incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey by 26,000 votes. Despite this, Casey has refused to concede and is adamant that every vote be counted. With the margin within one percentage point triggering an automatic recount under Pennsylvania law, the critical question remains: which votes should be counted?
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court had ruled before the election that mail ballots lacking required signatures or dates should not be included in official results. However, Democratic officials in Philadelphia and surrounding Bucks, Centre, and Montgomery counties are ignoring this court order. Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, openly stated, “I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country. People violate laws anytime they want. So, for me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention. There’s nothing more important than counting votes.”
With fewer than 80,000 provisional ballots left to be counted across the state, the chances of Casey overcoming his deficit are slim. However, his attorneys and McCormick’s have clashed at county commissioner meetings as local officials debate whether to count small numbers of ballots. Democrats argue that rejecting votes due to clerical errors violates constitutional rights. In Montgomery County, officials deliberated over 180 provisional ballots without secrecy envelopes, ultimately deciding to count them to prevent voter disenfranchisement.
Similar disputes over hundreds of votes have occurred in Bucks, Chester, and Delaware Counties. Meanwhile, ongoing litigation over undated mail ballots or those with incorrect dates on the envelope continues. The McCormick campaign and Republican National Committee have asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reaffirm its decision to exclude undated mail ballots from final tallies, while Democrats argue that incorrect dates should not disqualify votes.
The open defiance of court precedent has led Republicans to accuse Democrats of attempting to steal the Senate seat. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley condemned the actions, stating that the RNC would continue to fight to uphold McCormick’s victory. Despite these challenges, Democrats have defended their actions, noting that McCormick had previously argued for counting contested ballots in a different election.
With a state-mandated recount deadline of noon on Nov. 26, officials do not expect the process to change the outcome significantly. Both McCormick and Casey have been in Washington, D.C., this week, with McCormick attending new member orientation and Casey participating in Senate business. The recount saga continues in Pennsylvania, with the outcome hanging in the balance.
