Supreme Court Orders Pennsylvania Ballots Received After Election Day Be Segregated

The United States Supreme Court issued an order late on Friday evening directing that the ballots received in Pennsylvania after Election Day must be segregated from the rest of the ballots and secured — and if counted, counted separately.

“All county boards of election are hereby ordered, pending further order of the Court, to comply with the following guidance provided by the Secretary of the Commonwealth on October 28 and November 1, namely, (1) that all ballots received by mail after 8:00 p.m. on November 3 be segregated and kept ‘in a secure, safe and sealed container separate from other voted ballots,’ and (2) that all such ballots, if counted, be counted separately,” Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the Order. “Pa. Dep’t of State, Pennsylvania Guidance for Mail-in and Absentee Ballots Received From the United States Postal Service After 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 (Oct. 28, 2020); Pa. Dep’t of State, Canvassing Segregated Mail-in and Civilian Absentee Ballots Received by Mail After 8:00 p .m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 and Before 5:00 p .m. on Friday, November 6, 2020 (Nov. 1, 2020).”