Supreme Court Declines Pennsylvania Ballot Challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge from the Republican National Committee and Pennsylvania Republicans against a state Supreme Court decision allowing voters to cast provisional ballots if their mail-in ballots are rejected for technical reasons. The challengers argued that the state court's ruling violated the U.S. Constitution by overriding the state legislature's authority under the 'independent state legislature' theory. The Supreme Court issued a brief order denying the appeal, mirroring a previous refusal to intervene before the 2024 presidential election. Pennsylvania Democrats supported the state court's interpretation and cautioned that Supreme Court involvement could lead to continual election appeals. The case underscores ongoing debates over the division of authority between state courts and legislatures in federal elections. The Supreme Court has not yet set a clear standard for when state courts may exceed their constitutional limits in election cases.