Additional Coverage:
- Pennsylvania GOP congressmen lose bid to subject overseas ballots to additional scrutiny (newsbreak.com)
A federal judge in Pennsylvania has rejected a lawsuit from six Republican congressmen who sought to add extra scrutiny to mail-in ballots from overseas voters. The lawsuit, filed just weeks before the November 8 election, could have led to thousands of ballots being discarded.
The lawsuit, brought by Representatives Glenn Thompson, Guy Reschenthaler, Lloyd Smucker, Scott Perry, Dan Meuser, and Mike Kelly, claimed that the state’s current process for handling overseas ballots increased the risk of fraud and foreign interference.
The judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that it lacked legal standing and was filed too late. He also noted that the congressmen had failed to include necessary parties in the lawsuit.
The congressmen, who all refused to certify the 2020 election results, argued that the state should separate overseas ballots and verify their authenticity. However, the state’s Secretary of State, Al Schmidt, argued that federal law exempts overseas ballots from such verification.
The lawsuit is part of a broader effort by some Republicans to restrict voting access, particularly for mail-in and overseas ballots. Overseas voters include members of the military and U.S. citizens living abroad, and their votes could have a significant impact in swing states like Pennsylvania.