A federal court ruling concerning counting mail-in ballots has delayed the certification of the 2023 general election results in Montgomery County, officials announced Wednesday.
The Montgomery County Board of Elections had planned to certify its results, according to a Montgomery County spokesperson, but paused proceedings following a decision from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania requiring the inclusion of "undated and improperly dated mail-in ballots.”
"The provision protects a citizen’s right to vote by forbidding a state actor from disqualifying a voter because of their failure to provide or error in providing some unnecessary information on a voting application or ballot,” Judge Susan Baxter wrote in an opinion issued on Tuesday.
There were 349 ballots impacted in Montgomery County, according to a county spokesperson. Canvassing and tabulation efforts are set to begin at 10 a.m. on Monday at the Montgomery County Office of Voter Services’ Warehouse at 1006 W. Washington St. in Norristown.
"In Montgomery County, we have consistently taken the position that the Election Code should be interpreted broadly in favor of voters’ rights. All eligible voters should have their ballots counted,” said Montgomery County Election Board Chairman Ken Lawrence Jr. in a statement on Wednesday. "We will take the additional time needed to ensure that these ballots are included in the official results of the 2023 general election.”
A five-day waiting period will take place after counting concludes, according to a county spokesperson. All results are considered unofficial until the county election board convenes to certify them.
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