Today, Landmark Legal Foundation filed a brief in an important ballot integrity case in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, McLinko v. Commonwealth.

Pennsylvania has a general requirement under its state constitution that voters must cast their ballot in person. Pennsylvanians may only vote by absentee ballot under certain, specific exceptions, such as issues related to work, religion or illness. The Pennsylvania Legislature attempted to bypass these constitutionally-imposed restrictions. They passed a statute, Act 77, that eliminated any requirement to provide a reason to request an absentee ballot. Defenders of the law claim that it fits within the constitutional discretion given to the Legislature for methods of secret voting.

Landmark argued in its brief that this position is at odds with longstanding historical and legal precedent. Landmark details the history and need for secret ballots, the inherent risks to vote-by-mail systems, and why opening the door to universal vote-by-mail would be a disaster for Pennsylvania.

Read the brief here