A court in Pennsylvania ruled on Thursday morning that GOP observers must be allowed to watch ballot counting across the state.
“BREAKING: Appellate court in PA this morning ruling guarantees GOP observers can watch the ballot counts. They had been pushed away 16 sometimes 100 feet away,” Just The News reporter Carrie Sheffield tweeted.
She added that Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said the ruling was a win for the Trump campaign. “I can’t stress enough how big a victory this is,” Clark said.
BREAKING: Appellate court in PA this morning ruling guarantees GOP observers can watch the ballot counts. They had been pushed away 16 sometimes 100 feet away. "I can't stress enough how big a victory this is." Justin Clark, Trump Deputy Campaign Manager #Election2020 #VoteCount
— Carrie Sheffield (@carriesheffield) November 5, 2020
Trump later celebrated the court ruling, tweeting that it is a “Big legal win in Pennsylvania!”
Big legal win in Pennsylvania!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2020
The court order allows GOP observers to stand within six feet of the counting when previously such observers had been pushed back much further.
PA appellate court orders that vote count observers must be allowed within 6 feet of the canvassing process – previously were forced 20+ feet away pic.twitter.com/WSxbPCNDjU
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) November 5, 2020
The Trump campaign preemptively claimed victory in Pennsylvania on Wednesday despite the fact that no major media outlet has called the race yet as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continues to cut into Trump’s lead in the state as outstanding ballots are counted. The GOP has descended on the state, gearing up for a legal fight.
“We are declaring a victory in Pennsylvania. This is not based on gut or feel. This is based on math,” Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien told reporters on a press call on Wednesday afternoon.
The Trump campaign sued Pennsylvania on Wednesday alleging that Republican representatives were not being given fair access to observe the vote counting procedures. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has argued that with the number of ballots still outstanding, and taking into consideration where those ballots are from, the campaign believes that Biden cannot make up the difference and overtake Trump in the state.
Trump also claimed victories in Georgia and North Carolina ahead of any major media company. The race in Georgia is especially tight as outstanding ballots being counted are expected to cut favorably for Biden and may deliver the state to the Democratic nominee, which would be a likely fatal blow to the Trump campaign. As The Daily Wire reported:
Trump tweeted on Wednesday afternoon that, for “Electoral Vote purposes,” he was declaring victory in Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, citing the voting lead he currently holds in those states. He also said he would declare victory in Michigan if ballots were “secretly” dumped there.
“We have claimed, for Electoral Vote purposes, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (which won’t allow legal observers) the State of Georgia, and the State of North Carolina, each one of which has a BIG Trump lead. Additionally, we hereby claim the State of Michigan if, in fact, there was a large number of secretly dumped ballots as has been widely reported!” Trump tweeted.
Trump is gaining ground in Arizona, a key win he likely must secure to keep open a viable path to the presidency. The Phoenix-based data firm Data Orbital holds that Trump is on track to take the state as outstanding ballots are counted, though the counting may not be finished until late in the week.