On September 13, 2024, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ruled that mail-in ballots could be discarded if voters do not accurately date the return envelopes.

The decision was narrowly passed with a 4-3 vote, where two Democratic justices joined their Republican counterparts to overturn a lower court's ruling.

This ruling reinstates a previous requirement that had been deemed unenforceable by the Commonwealth Court due to insufficient involvement from all county election boards.

The ruling has significant implications for the upcoming presidential election, as it could potentially invalidate over 10,000 ballots that arrive on time but are improperly dated.

Given that Pennsylvania is a critical swing state, even a small number of rejected mail ballots could significantly impact the election outcome, especially considering Biden's narrow victory in 2020.

In the recent primary, over 4,400 mail ballots were rejected in Pennsylvania due to date-related issues, highlighting the potential for widespread disenfranchisement.

Voting rights advocates had previously sought to block this date requirement, arguing that it unfairly disenfranchises eligible voters.

The lawsuit challenging the date mandate cited a state constitutional provision ensuring that elections are 'free and equal,' but the court ultimately upheld the requirement.

The Republican National Committee and the Pennsylvania Republican Party supported the date provision, emphasizing its importance for maintaining election integrity.

In addition to the presidential election, voters will also decide on the replacement for incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Casey and numerous state legislative positions.

Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, is a key battleground in the presidential race between Trump and Vice President Harris, as well as in the Senate race against Republican Dave McCormick.

Historically, Democratic voters have relied more heavily on mail-in voting in Pennsylvania, and older voters have faced issues with their ballots being rejected due to envelope date problems.