Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party has taken Erie County to court, claiming the county’s mishandling of mail ballots could prevent voters from participating in the upcoming election. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, points to a significant lag in ballot returns, with only 52% of ballots submitted back as of Monday.
This low return rate, one of the lowest in Pennsylvania, has raised concerns among Democrats who worry that hundreds of voters may be left without their ballots due to administrative issues. The suit contends that Erie County officials sent incorrect ballots to some residents, while others report they still haven’t received their mail ballots.
Pennsylvania Democrats File Suit Over Ballot Delays in Erie County https://t.co/jEHbLdTxd4
A lawsuit said that many voters had not received their mail-in ballots, and that return rates in the county lagged far behind the state average.
— Sean Graf (@seangraf) October 31, 2024
Complicating matters, the United States Postal Service has been unable to locate 1,800 ballots that Erie County’s vendor claims to have sent. Local reports also indicate that USPS mistakenly directed hundreds of ballots to the wrong post office last week, adding to delays.
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party’s lawsuit calls for Erie County to identify voters who have not yet received ballots as of Oct. 22. The suit also requests that those voters be allowed to obtain ballots in person through Nov. 4 to ensure they can cast their votes.
With Pennsylvania as a pivotal swing state, election officials are under pressure to ensure all eligible voters can participate. The issues in Erie County underscore ongoing challenges with mail-in voting, a method used by many who may face barriers to voting in person.
