Judge rejects GOP bid to restrict overseas ballots in Pennsylvania

A U.S. judge successful Pennsylvania connected Tuesday rejected a Republican-led suit aimed astatine bolstering nan vetting process for overseas voters – an effort that had sparked crisp disapproval and concerns that it could disenfranchise thousands of Keystone State voters, including U.S. work members and their families.

The lawsuit was revenge precocious past month by six retired of 8 House Republicans from Pennsylvania’s legislature delegation. The group had based on that nan authorities rule made it imaginable for overseas residents to registry and ballot successful elections without due identification. 

Voters tin "receive a ballot by email and past ballot a ballot without providing recognition astatine immoderate measurement successful nan process," nan Republican plaintiffs alleged.

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The national courthouse successful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (AP Photo/Mark Scolforo, File)

U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner dismissed nan suit Tuesday arsenic a "nonstarter," noting that nan plaintiffs had waited excessively agelong to file their lawsuit, which seeks to update a rule that has been connected nan books for 12 years. 

He besides cited procedural issues pinch nan case, noting they grounded to nutrient grounds aliases articulate a "viable people of action."

"An injunction astatine this precocious hr would upend nan Commonwealth’s cautiously laid predetermination management procedures to nan detriment of untold thousands of voters, to opportunity thing of nan authorities and region administrators who would beryllium expected to instrumentality these caller procedures connected apical of their existent duties," Conner said.

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The push comes arsenic Republicans successful astatine slightest 3 plaything states person sought to ace down connected overseas voting successful nan last sprint to Election Day. The RNC and state-level groups successful Michigan and North Carolina person besides revenge lawsuits successful caller weeks seeking further restrictions connected a vetting and verification process they reason is devoid of due safeguards.

The lawsuits sparked contiguous protestation from a group of House Democrats and erstwhile subject members, who based on that nan remedy sought by nan plaintiffs was overly restrictive and risked disenfranchising thousands of U.S. work members stationed abroad. 

According to nan Democratic National Committee (DNC), an estimated 1.6 cardinal U.S. voters surviving overseas are eligible to ballot successful 1 of 7 plaything states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania aliases Wisconsin. 

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Boxes of petitions signed for a projected ballot measurement beryllium successful a committee room astatine nan Arkansas Capitol successful 2024. (AP)

The states, which transportation a mixed full of 93 Electoral College votes, are considered to beryllium important successful deciding nan adjacent president successful a virtual dormant power title betwixt erstwhile President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Pennsylvania has 19 connected its own, giving it outsize value successful nan election.

Earlier this month, a lawyer testified to nan tribunal that complete 26,000 overseas ballots had already been formed successful Pennsylvania. It’s unclear really galore of those would beryllium impacted by a tribunal decision. 

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