UNITED STATES−On Thursday, November 12, Pennsylvania Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt, ruled in favor of President Donald Trump regarding late ballots missing pertinent information.
Pennsylvania Secretary of State, Kathy Boockvar, advised prior to the November 3 that ballots missing proof of identification had until November 12, to rectify the situation for their votes to be counted.
A suit filed by President Trump and the Republican National Committee indicates that Boockvar did not have the authority to change the date of the identification deadline.
Boockvar has served as Secretary of State since January 5, 2019. In her ruling, Judge Mary Leavitt wrote:
“[The] Court concludes that Respondent Kathy Boockvar, in her official capacity as Secretary of the Commonwealth, lacked statutory authority to issue the November 1, 2020, guidance to Respondents County Boards of Elections insofar as that guidance purported to change the deadline…for certain electors to verify proof of identification.”
On December 20, 2001, Judge Leavitt was commissioned to the Commonwealth Court, taking her oath of office on January 7, 2002. Leavitt was retained in 2011 for an additional 10-year term. In 2016, Leavitt became the 8th President Judge.
According to Pennsylvania state law, ballots that came in after the November 9 deadline would not be counted.
There is another hearing scheduled for Friday, November 13, to determine if over 1,000 ballots that were missing crucial information were indeed counted by election officials along with legitimate votes.
Associate Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Alito Jr. previously granted the Republican Party of Pennsylvania’s request to have all ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day be segregated.
Both President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden spent time in Pennsylvania toward the end of the campaign trail before the election to garner votes in the state. The state of Pennsylvania carries a total of 20 electoral votes. The state of Pennsylvania was declared a victory for Joe Biden by various media outlets on Saturday, November 7.
