Not Counting Undated Absentee Ballots May Have Determined Outcome in PA House Race

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Patch.com - 1K Votes Tossed In Bucks County Could Impact House Control
Bucks County Courier Times - Update: GOP's Hogan captures 142nd seat in Bucks County

WHYY - Moffa concedes, Hogan takes 142nd state House district in Bucks County with 53-vote difference

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters PA, Democracy Docket, POWER Interfaith, Black Political Power Empowerment Project,
Common Cause PA, Make the Road PA

Today's Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We’re zooming in on Bucks County, Pennsylvania today, where the initial margin in a race for Pennsylvania’s 142nd state house district was just 53 votes.   But  this wasn’t just any race; this was a race which would determine control of the Pennsylvania legislature.   

In October, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to rule on whether undated absentee ballots should be counted, something which the Pennsylvania courts had waffled on earlier this year.  Then, on Nov. 1, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that absentee ballots which were otherwise valid but had no date, COULD NOT be counted. 

As of Nov. 10, 15,449 votes had been tallied for Republican Joseph Hogan, and 15,396 votes for Democrat Mark Moffa, a 53-vote margin.  But thanks to the courts,  215 absentee ballots were rejected for not being dated.  Warminster Patch & the Bucks County Courier Times report that an additional 79 segregated ballots were rejected for being unsigned, or having no signature and date.  942 other ballots were rejected for other reasons, such as missing secrecy envelopes, invalid provisional ballots, and other election rules. 

As of this report, 51 ballots were still being researched, but on Nov. 17th, Republican Joseph Hogan was declared the winner by the County Commission with help from the courts.  A final vote total expected November 28th.  

We have links to articles and resources at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org  For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.