A Pennsylvania state court ruled on Friday that officials in Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties cannot discard mail-in ballots over incorrect envelope dates. This decision came after nearly 16,000 mail-in ballots were disqualified in April's primary election for various irregularities, including missing signatures and incorrect dates on envelopes.

Judge Ellen Ceisler of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania stated that rejecting such ballots due to "meaningless and inconsequential paperwork errors" infringes upon the fundamental right to vote as protected by the state constitution.

This ruling is significant as Pennsylvania is a key battleground state in the upcoming Nov. 5 U.S. elections, where Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are expected to compete. Pennsylvania, one of seven states classified as battlegrounds, saw narrow election margins in the last contest.