Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito blocked a decision by a federal appeals court that would have required the counting of undated ballots in Pennsylvania elections.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which is based in Philidelphia, ruled that the undated ballots must be counted despite Pennsylvania’s requirement that voters sign and date their ballot.

Justice Alito’s stay on the decision means that this case could very well be taken up by the Supreme Court to make a determination on just how much power individual states have to set standards for voting.

Big implications

Pennsylvania is a key state in the upcoming midterm elections, and all eyes will be on their elections.

Pennsylvania’s Senate race could very well determine the balance of power in Congress’s upper chamber. Republicans are hoping that whoever wins the primary will go on to win the election and help Republicans seize power.

Of course, a lot remains undetermined and this stay by Justice Alito may have no impact whatsoever on the Pennsylvania election.

The Supreme Court and the broader judiciary have grown increasingly wary of ruling on election-related cases just ahead of elections.

That means that this case will either be handled very quickly or will make its way through the system in a normal manner. The latter option means that a decision likely wouldn’t come until after the midterm elections are already over.

Either way, the Supreme Court stepping in and awarding more power to states to determine how they run their elections could have massive political implications in future elections.

Election integrity at stake

The Supreme Court allocating more power to individual states when it comes to running elections would be an incredible win for election integrity.

Democrats made a push to centralize control over elections following the 2020 presidential election, but that effort thankfully failed. States must have the ability to ensure safe and secure elections.

The shady stories that circulated around the 2020 presidential election did untold damage to Americans’ confidence in our elections. That trust must be restored and the best way to do that is to ensure secure elections.