The Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas has ordered a Fayette County election judge to stop plans for a hand count of ballots and to hand over all election materials once the polls close at 8 pm.
The directive comes after Vincent Manetta, the judge of elections for Washington Township, declared his intention to manually count ballots despite being explicitly instructed not to by the Fayette County Bureau of Elections.
The court’s intervention was prompted by a petition from Marybeth Kuznik, Director of the Fayette County Bureau of Elections, who asked for urgent action to prevent Manetta from defying standard procedures.
She argued that a hand count would cause significant delays in the vote tallying process, potentially setting back results by several hours.
In response, Judge Linda Cordaro issued a firm court order stating that if Manetta refuses to comply, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department would be deployed to escort a poll worker and secure all election materials from the Washington Township precinct.
The order emphasized that the Sheriff’s Department would also step in to escort any other precinct attempting to operate outside the rules established by state law.
“The Sheriff’s Department shall also similarly escort any other Fayette County precinct which is acting outside of the authority outlined in the (state) statute,” Judge Cordaro wrote.
She made it clear that any election official who attempts to conduct a hand count will be removed by the sheriff’s department.
The situation escalated quickly as Manetta’s defiance raised concerns about potential delays and disruptions in reporting accurate election results.
Kuznik’s petition highlighted the importance of adhering to established procedures to ensure a smooth and efficient election process.
This development adds to the tension in Pennsylvania, one of the crucial swing states that could determine the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election.
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All eyes remain on how election processes unfold, with officials and voters alike aware of the state’s significant role in the national political landscape.
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