7 months ago
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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania justice connected Wednesday sided with Donald Trump's run and agreed to widen an in-person voting enactment successful suburban Philadelphia where long lines on the last time led to complaints voters were being disenfranchised by an unprepared predetermination office.
Judge Jeffrey Trauger said successful a one-page bid that Bucks County voters who privation to use for an aboriginal message ballot present person until Friday.
The Trump campaign's lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday morning, comes amid a flurry of litigation and complaints over voting successful a battleground state that is expected to play a cardinal relation successful helping prime the adjacent president successful 2024's election.
The suit sought a one-day extension, done Wednesday astatine 5 p.m., for voters to use in-person for a mail-in ballot. The judge's bid permits applications done the adjacent of concern connected Friday.
A connection seeking remark was near with a spokesperson for Bucks County government.
Neighboring Lehigh County connected Tuesday asked a justice to widen the deadline determination by 1 day, done Wednesday, due to the fact that roadworthy closures successful downtown Allentown around Trump's rally blocked entree to the elections office. The justice agreed.
In Bucks County, the Trump run suit said radical who were successful enactment by Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline to use in-person for a message ballot should person been allowed to get a ballot, adjacent aft the deadline. However, Bucks County's predetermination bureau denied voters that close and ordered them to leave, the suit said.
“This is simply a nonstop usurpation of Pennsylvanians’ rights to formed their ballot — and each voters person a close to STAY successful line,” the Trump run said successful a statement.
The Republican National Committee and the run of Republican Senate nominee David McCormick joined the suit against Bucks County, wherever Democrats power the authorities successful a intimately politically divided region often seen arsenic a governmental bellwether.
Gov. Josh Shapiro's medication had urged counties to let each elector who was successful enactment by the 5 p.m. deadline to taxable a mail-in ballot application. Responding to disapproval and misinformation connected societal media Tuesday, Bucks County had said each elector successful enactment by 5 p.m. Tuesday would beryllium allowed to use for a message ballot.
Bucks County officials did not instantly remark Wednesday.
Pennsylvania does not let aboriginal voting connected voting machines successful polling places, arsenic immoderate states do.
But Bucks County, similar different counties successful Pennsylvania, allows voters to use for a mail-in ballot in-person astatine the elections bureau and person it there, a time-consuming process strained to the bounds by Trump's exhortations to his supporters to get retired and ballot earlier Tuesday's deadline. Voters tin besides capable it retired and manus it successful astatine the office.
Voters waited up to 3 hours connected Tuesday. Those inactive successful enactment astatine 5 p.m. were told to spell home, the suit said.
In neighboring Lehigh County, a dependable watercourse of voters took vantage of the one-day hold Wednesday, descending to the basement bureau of the elector registration bureau successful Allentown to use for a mail-in ballot, capable it retired and crook it in. County elections workers explained the process arsenic voters stepped disconnected the elevator into a crowded hallway.
“There are fantastic reps present who are telling everybody what to do, however to bash it. It’s moving smoothly. I’m excited to beryllium here,” Jeanne Birosik, a Republican voter, said arsenic she waited for elections workers to hole her message ballot.
Birosik typically votes connected Election Day, but successful 2020, she said, she showed up to her polling spot and was incorrectly told she’d already voted. She filled retired a provisional ballot that time, but didn’t privation to permission thing to accidental for this election.
“This conscionable seemed similar a safer mode to spell astir it,” she said.
Her husband, Chris Birosik, 62, who was besides determination to vote, said they didn’t see dropping their ballots successful the message weeks agone — excessively risky, successful his view.
“I conscionable consciousness much assured that we get it successful and bash it this way,” helium said.
The aboriginal voting angst successful Bucks County is the latest dustup over voting successful Pennsylvania, which has the largest trove of electoral votes of immoderate battleground authorities and is by far the authorities astir visited by the Democratic and Republican statesmanlike tickets this year. The runup to Election Day successful the authorities has been marked by galore battles implicit message ballots, immoderate landing connected the doorstep of the U.S. Supreme Court.
