Justices: We're Not Getting Involved in Pennsylvania

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would not grant a quick, pre-election review to a new Republican appeal to exclude absentee ballots received after Election Day in the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania, although it remained unclear whether those ballots will ultimately be counted, the AP reports. The court's order left open the possibility that the justices could take up and decide after the election whether a three-day extension to receive and count absentee ballots ordered by Pennsylvania's high court was proper. The issue would take on enormous importance if Pennsylvania turns out to be the crucial state in next week's election and the votes received between Nov. 3 and Nov. 6 are potentially decisive.

The Supreme Court ruled hours after Pennsylvania's Department of State agreed to segregate ballots received in the mail after polls close on Tuesday and before 5pm on Nov. 6. President Trump's campaign suggested that those ballots will never be counted. "We secured a huge victory when the Pennsylvania Secretary of State saw the writing on the wall and voluntarily complied with our injunction request, segregating ballots received after the Nov. 3 deadline," said a Trump campaign official. Pennsylvania's Department of State could not immediately say Wednesday night whether it would revise its guidance to the counties about whether to count those ballots. New Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not take part in the vote.

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