The LuLac Edition #4,406, September 23rd, 2020

 WRITE ON WEDNESDAY 

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This week we look at the Times Shamrock’s take on State Supreme Court rulings on ballots, democracy and the upcoming election.  

RULINGS VICTORIES FOR VOTING, DEMOCRACY

Many Republican politicians complained last week that a state Supreme Court decision ensuring the counting of mailed ballots favors Democrats, but they miss the point.

The ruling, allowing county election offices to count mailed-in ballots up to three days after the election as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3, Election Day, favors democracy rather than any party. Preventing disenfranchisement of eligible voters is the legitimate work of the government in a representative democracy.

That is contrary to vote suppression, which is a political tactic rather that a democratic prerogative. That is what the Trump administration had hoped to achieve in Pennsylvania by declining to assure that the U.S. Postal Service is up to the task of delivering an expected deluge of mailed ballots on time. The three-day extension approved by the court mitigates such delays.

Some Republican legislators, including U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, complained that extending the count deadline could prevent the state outcome from being determined on election night. That’s possible, but accuracy, counting every vote, is the ultimate goal.

And Republicans, who hold the majorities in both houses of the state Legislature, have the power to expedite the vote count. They should grant a request from the state’s county election officers to allow them to precanvass mailed ballots beginning three days before the election. That would entail removing sealed ballots from outer envelopes and authenticating the mailed ballot, leaving only the actual automated count itself to Election Day.

To help local offices deal with the anticipated record volume of ballots, the Supreme Court also authorized the use of ballot drop boxes at secure locations as determined by county election offices. Lackawanna County plans to use secure drop boxes at six locations.

The court also authorized use of state money to cover the return postage on ballots, eliminating a potential disincentive to voting.

Pennsylvania has come a long way in a short time regarding ballot access by mail and the Republican legislative majority deserves a great deal of credit for that. Now, those lawmakers should complete the process by approving the precanvassing necessary to prevent delays in the vote count.