Republicans Fight To Throw Out Ballots On Technicalities, Critics Call Out Voter Suppression

Republicans in states where the votes are expected to be extremely close in Tuesday’s midterm elections are heading to the courts in efforts to disqualify mail-in ballots from being counted.

This is playing out in a variety of scenarios, which critics are saying is voter suppression.

In Pennsylvania, the Republican National Committee won their bid with the state Supreme Court ruling that thousands of ballots will go uncounted due to dates not being written on the outside of envelopes. The decision that came on November 1 will stay intact for this election cycle only. This applies to ballots that were sent in before Election Day. Pennsylvania law leaves this aspect up to interpretation, but in past elections, Pennsylvania counties have counted ballots that have incorrect dates or are left undated. Around 3,300 ballots currently fall under violation of the technicality, but voters who are concerned can try to get a replacement ballot or vote in person on Tuesday.

In Wisconsin, a court ruled that ballots will not be counted if the witness address is not completely filled out, which state Republicans said was consistent with the law. Election officials had been filling incomplete addresses on ballots out for voters.

“Lawless ballot curing cannot and will not be allowed to continue,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said in a statement after the ruling. “We’re putting the full weight of the legislature behind this lawsuit to shut down [the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s] defiant and flagrant abuse of the law.”

In Detroit, Michigan, Kristina Karamo (R), who is running to be secretary of state, sued the city’s top election official in an effort to disregard absentee ballots without an ID.