Pennsylvania Judge rules in favor of Trump campaign: Sec State did not have authority to change election deadline

In what is amounting to a significant victory for President Donald Trump’s campaign, a Pennsylvania judge ruled Thursday that the state may not count segregated ballots, saying the Secretary of State “lacked statutory authority” to override election law.

“[T]he 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,” stated Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt in the court order.

The court order also noted that “Respondents County Board of Elections are enjoined from counting any ballots that have been segregated.” In effect, it means that ballots from voters who submitted missing identification between Nov. 10 and Nov. 12. Ballots will not be counted, while those with “cured” ID issues received before aren’t being challenged by the Trump campaign, according to the court ruling.

According to Pennsylvania state law voters have until six days after the election, which would be November 9 this year to take care of issues regarding a lack of proof of identification. The situation became more precarious because after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that mail-in ballots could be accepted three days after Election Day, Boockvar submitted guidance stating that proof of identification could be provided up until Nov. 12, which is six days from the ballot acceptance deadline.

Boockvar issues those changes just two days before Election Day.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany called the decision by the Pennsylvania court a “Victory” for the Trump campaign. She noted that “anti-Trump Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar exceeded her authority in trying to count ballots arriving AFTER Election Day.”

“Article 1, Section 4 fo the U.S. Constitution Matters,” added McEnany, who also appeared on Fox News Sean Hannity Thursday night to address other irregularities in Pennsylvania.

Democrats downplayed the Trump win. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said the order is “a narrow ruling on very few ballots. Doesn’t affect ballots received by 11/6. None of this changes the election results.”

Just by Shapiro’s Tweet you can see it was eating at him that the Trump campaign won this victory in the court but I believe his nervous smugness has more to do with about what’s to come.

You can follow Sara A Carter on Parler @SaraCarterOfficial or on Twitter @SaraCarterDC