The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Monday that mail-in ballots with missing or incorrect dates will not be counted in the 2024 general election.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that mail-in ballots must contain a date, emphasizing the need to follow instructions in the interest of ensuring fairness in the electoral process. The court instructed all 67 county election offices to uniformly implement the date requirement.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and other petitioners filed an emergency application arguing that counties were inconsistently applying mail-in ballot rules, creating disparities in how votes were treated. Their petition, filed on November 14, insisted that Pennsylvania law explicitly requires voters to date their ballot declaration envelopes and that failing to do so renders a ballot invalid. The petition emphasized that allowing undated or incorrectly dated ballots undermines the integrity and uniformity of the electoral process.

The decision may significantly impact thousands of voters who incorrectly dated their ballot envelopes. Opponents contend that small technical mistakes, such as failing to provide a date, should not invalidate a vote that is otherwise legitimate. Voter access advocates fear that the ruling disproportionately affects first-time mail-in voters, older voters, and others unfamiliar with the procedure.

However, the RNC argued that the date requirement is not a mere technicality but a safeguard to ensure ballots are cast within the legal time frame and to deter potential fraud.

The Pennsylvania ruling is part of a more extensive national discussion about mail-in voting. Since 2020, party disagreements have centered on mail-in voting, with Democrats calling for greater access and Republicans demanding stronger regulations. The court’s decision might establish a standard for cases like this in other states, especially as mail-in voting grows in popularity.

With the 2024 election concluded, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling will likely influence future election policies. While voting rights advocates push for reforms to simplify mail-in ballot rules, supporters of stricter laws see the decision as a win for electoral integrity.