RNC sues Pennsylvania over ballot curing for 2022 elections

The Republican National Committee announced Friday that it is leading a lawsuit against Pennsylvania over ballot curing in the 2022 elections.

The other plaintiffs are the National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Pennsylvania GOP and several state voters.

They are suing the commonwealth for what RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel calls "unequal treatment of its citizens at the ballot box." ​​​​​​

Ballot curing is when an absentee ballot has a defect of some sort, such as missing information, and someone fixes – or "cures" – the ballot.

The lawsuit is challenging "the illegal and unfair practice of some counties allowing voters to 'cure' defective mail ballots while others do not," according to the RNC. "Pennsylvania law does not permit counties to contact voters and allow them to cure their ballots."

McDaniel also said: "Pennsylvania Democrats, led by Governor Tom Wolf, are unconstitutionally flouting the law by failing to adopt uniform rules for how elections in the Keystone State are run. This lawsuit will ensure that Pennsylvania voters have confidence in their elections and underscores the Republican Party's commitment to making it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Pennsylvania and nationwide."

According to the lawsuit, absentee and mail-in ballots can only be cured when there is a lack of proof of identification.

The GOP also argues that while many Pennsylvania counties are following the law and not allowing for additional ballot curing, "others have implemented a curing process, largely in secrecy, that varies by county."

The lawsuit points out that the state legislature passed a bill earlier this year to implement a broad cure procedure, but Wolf vetoed it.

It also states that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that state election code doesn't provide such a cure procedure and only the state legislature can create one.