Editorial: Pennsylvania elections need uniformity

Westmoreland County voters, you have been warned.

On Thursday, the county election board set its rules in stone for the May 16 primary. It was spelled out unequivocally: Screw something up on your mail-in ballot, and it will not be counted.

Specifically, ballots must be dated and dated correctly.

That might not seem groundbreaking. It might seem downright obvious. But not in Pennsylvania.

Since 2020, the state has been torn over one question — to count or not to count. It has gone to election boards to decide. It has been taken to court, to appeals court, even to the state Supreme Court.

The rulings have gone back and forth. Yes. No. Count it. Don’t count it. Segregate the ballots. Let the voters cure the problem. No, don’t.

The last and latest decision from the top court is in line with Westmoreland’s decision. Ballots with incorrect or missing dates can be invalidated.

It’s good that Westmoreland is establishing this publicly before most people have had an opportunity to fill out and submit their ballot. It is equally important that the line of the decision is being drawn before a court battle over a close race kicks off — which is not say that couldn’t come later.

“I think with election laws constantly changing, we need to have something in place for our voters,” said Westmoreland Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher. “We need some uniformity because elections laws are changing.”

Uniformity is lacking in the state’s elections, where each county board has its own interpretation. Allegheny County, for example, allows ballots to be cured.

That won’t be a problem this year, when the races are local and county focused. But as this continues, it seems likely to set up problems down the road when candidates cross county lines.

That’s what happened in 2020 with the 45th Senate District. That came down to a dispute between incumbent Jim Brewster, who ultimately won, and now-Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli. A ballot with a problem that counted in Allegheny would not have been counted in Westmoreland.

Court decisions on what counts and what doesn’t can help clarify what should happen, but they don’t matter much if everyone isn’t on the same page.