Senator Bob Casey held his seat in the United States Senate for Pennsylvania since 2007 until challenger Dave McCormick unseated him this election cycle.
In one of the most expensive senate races in the country this year, the Associated Press called the race with less than a percentage point between the candidates. After the race was called, Casey refused to concede, nearly barring McCormick from attending new member orientation in Washington.
As of Wednesday, McCormick led by about 28,000 votes out of more than 6.9 million ballots that had been counted. His lead fell within the 0.5% margin to trigger an automatic statewide recount under Pennsylvania law. Counties must begin the recount no later than November 20th. The recount must be complete by noon on November 26th.
In Pennsylvania, Republicans went to court on Thursday, filing a lawsuit that asks court not to allow counties to count mail-in ballots where the voter did not write a date on the return envelope, as required by law, or wrote an incorrect date. Pennsylvania Republican Party Chair Lawrence Tabas said, “What’s taking place in these counties is absolute lawlessness.”
Election boards in Montgomery, Philadelphia, Bucks, and Centre counties voted to count such ballots. Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, said, “We’re talking about constitutional rights, and I cannot take an action to throw out someone’s ballot that is validly cast, otherwise, over an issue that we know… is immaterial.”
Dave McCormick’s campaign separately sued Bucks County, Pennsylvania to contest the county election board’s decision to count 405 such ballots. Republican lawyers are planning to file litigation against Philadelphia and Centre counties as well.
Lower courts have said it is unconstitutional to throw out such erred ballots, while the Supreme Court has blocked those decisions from taking effect.
