Shohei Ohtani texted Dodgers teammates Saturday night: ‘I’m fine’

• October 28, 2024

NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani left Dodger Stadium quickly after injuring his left shoulder during Game 2 on Saturday night, leaving his teammates with as many questions about his status for the rest of the World Series as everyone else.

Then their phones started buzzing.

“He texted the whole team as we were on our way to the airport and said he was going to be fine, and that’s it,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy revealed before Game 3 on Monday. “He said he was going to play, so we all put it (any concerns) to the side at that moment. We said, all right, he’s got us. We’ll be ready for him to be in the lineup.”

The group chat is among players only, so Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t hear about the text until Muncy mentioned it to the media on Monday.

“It would have been helpful if I saw that thread,” Roberts joked. “I would have slept better Saturday night.”

Roberts was able to sleep better after watching Ohtani go through “probably 80%” of his normal daily routine during the Dodgers’ off-day workout Sunday. Ohtani traveled separately from the team after getting examined on Sunday and arrived at Yankee Stadium as the workout was winding down.

“Saturday night (when he was injured) to yesterday when I saw him in the cage hitting balls 102 miles an hour off a tee – that was joy,” Roberts said.

“He was very adamant that he was going to play. … I think there was more uncertainty in all of our minds. But in his mind from Day One, from Saturday evening, he was going to play.”

Roberts said Monday that Ohtani’s shoulder was popped back into place by the athletic training staff at the ballpark and an MRI showed no structural damage. He wasn’t sure whether the injury will heal on its own or any procedure would be needed after the Series.

Asked whether Ohtani received medication, an injection or was being taped up, Roberts said “it’s all of the above on the treatment and stuff. The tape is just protecting and stabilizing, not really limiting.”

A separated shoulder is subject to recurrence. Roberts said he doubted Ohtani will attempt any more stolen bases during the Series.

The likely National League MVP is 1 for 8 in the first two games of the series and is batting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his first postseason in the majors.

GAME 4

The Dodgers will run another bullpen game for Game 4 against the Yankees. Brent Honeywell Jr. was in the interview room before Game 3, so he was asked if that was an indication he would the ‘opener’ for the bullpen game.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Good question.”

Roberts said Honeywell was not “Plan A” to start Game 4 and the pitching plan would be “contingent’ on how the bullpen was used in Game 3.

“I say that with all honesty because there’s leverage guys in a plus game (Dodgers leading) that I’m going to use. And if the game is kind of middling or a different situation, then I’ll use other guys,” Roberts said. “I just don’t know how we’re going to come out of it.”

Roberts said Honeywell could be a part of the Game 4 bullpen game.

“It’s all about doing your job, each guy,” Honeywell said of the approach to bullpen games. “You go out, you get the outs that you’re asked to get. And once that happens, you’ve got to watch the guy coming behind you and do the same thing.

“It’s all about kind of giving a different look. I’d put our bullpen up with any bullpen that I’ve ever been on and any bullpen I’ve ever seen. I want to win, and if that’s how we’ve got to do it, that’s how we’ve got to do it.”

ALL RISE

Earlier in the postseason, when Ohtani was going through a 2-for-17 stretch and couldn’t seem to get a hit without runners on base, Roberts was asked about dropping him in the batting order. He rejected the idea.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone was being asked the same questions before Game 3 in New York about Aaron Judge. The presumptive American League MVP was 1 for 9 with six strikeouts in the first two games against the Dodgers, 6 for 40 (.150) with 19 strikeouts this postseason and is a career .199 hitter in the postseason.

“It’s the World Series, no,” Boone said of moving Judge down in the order. “That’s our guy, and there’s pressure in the Series, whatever spot you’re hitting. He’s our guy and we’re confident he’ll get it going.”

OVERSEAS APPEAL

The World Series is averaging 15.15 million viewers in Japan through two games. According to MLB, the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory in Game 2 averaged 15.9 million, making it the most-watched MLB postseason game in the nation’s history.

Besides the allure of Ohtani, the game had Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the Dodgers’ starting pitcher.

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The Dodgers’ dramatic 6-3 victory in Game 1 – which ended on Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning – averaged 14.4 million.

Tokyo is 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles, meaning the games started around 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday morning in Japan. The games are being carried through Fuji TV, NHK BS and J Sports.

Combined with the United States ratings, the first two games have a combined 29.7 million average in the two countries.

The World Series is averaging 14.55 million viewers in the U.S. on Fox, Fox Deportes and streaming, putting it on track for its best performance since 2017.

According to Nielsen, the matchup between the Yankees and Dodgers has also meant a 93% increase in viewership within the 18-34-year-old demographic. According to MLB, social engagement is up 225% and views on social channels have increased 229%.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Watch paddler’s rare, up-close encounter with pod of Risso’s dolphins

• October 28, 2024

Bill Clements was out for a six-mile paddle off Dana Point when he saw huge dorsal fins piercing the glassy water in the distance.

As they got closer, he said he knew they were not the smaller common dolphins he encounters regularly off the Southern California coast. And they weren’t quite as big as orcas, either.

It turned out to be a pod of 40 or so Risso’s dolphins, typically found in deeper, tropical waters and a rarer sight for the region.

“It felt like I was paddling with small whales,” the Dana Point waterman said of the “surreal” close encounter Friday, Oct. 25.  “They look like whales, they don’t have the beak you normally see. What really struck me was how they glowed in the water, it was like a turquoise blue. It was like a bunch of missiles under the water. It was a really cool experience.”

It’s not the first time Clements has had an up close with large sea animals. Two years ago he got up close to a massive blue whale,  images of the encounter went viral.

“Every experience is awesome. But every once in a while, you come across something really unique and special,” he said.

Clements said he spent about an hour or so with the Risso’s dolphins out in the water, alone.

“I’ve just been reeling from the experience. It’s just so rare,” he said Monday. “To see such a rare species like that, and to see it alone. It was really phenomenal to be able to enjoy that moment alone and have them to myself for a while.”

According to NOAA Fisheries, Risso’s dolphins can dive to about 1,000 feet and hold their breath for 30 minutes. They can range in length from about 8.5 feet to 13 feet and weigh 660 pounds to 1,100 pounds.

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During  Clements’ encounter, the dolphins were kind of milling about, he said. They were about half the size of his board.

At one point, the pod of about 40 split up into two groups, then came back together, he said, with about 15 to 20 of them just feet from his board, some going under him, as he marveled from above.

“That was a moment to remember,” he said.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County football season stat leaders through Oct. 26

• October 28, 2024

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Here are the Orange County high school football stat leaders after the Week 9 games.

The leaderboards are based on season stats published on MaxPreps.com.

To be included, teams must have stats updated on MaxPreps each Monday by 2 p.m.

PASSING: TOTAL YARDS

Name, school  
Yards 
Yds/Gm 
Cmp. 
Att. 
TDs 

Alexander Lundsberg, Canyon
3365
373.9
269
430
38

Brady Edmunds, Huntington Beach
2537
281.9
174
277
26

Tristan Zale, Trabuco Hills
2471
274.6
165
261
26

Tommy Acosta, Capistrano Valley
2148
238.7
161
251
28

Cullen Doyle, Brea Olinda
2090
232.2
131
211
20

Xzavior Guess, El Modena
2080
231.1
139
203
26

Travis Frazier, Esperanza
2062
257.8
148
223
22

TJ Lateef, Orange Lutheran
1914
212.7
178
251
20

Vanden Dugger, Dana Hills
1857
206.3
154
228
23

Rudy Alcala, Troy
1833
203.7
111
170
28

Star Thomas, Orange
1782
222.8
170
275
11

Cash O’Byrne, Tesoro
1764
294.0
130
218
12

Tank Britton, Bolsa Grande
1683
210.4
129
213
19

Kevin Garcia, Buena Park
1664
184.9
125
207
16

Jack McKelvy, El Toro
1647
183.0
145
215
24

Noah Nam, Beckman
1615
179.4
111
165
12

Timmy Herr, San Juan Hills
1604
178.2
130
194
16

Jackson Kollock, Laguna Beach
1588
176.4
128
226
18

Nate Lewis, Villa Park
1484
185.5
84
156
16

Dawson Martinez, San Clemente
1467
163.0
116
173
9

Nate Richie, Capistrano Valley Christian
1429
158.8
150
278
11

Lucas Alexander, Fountain Valley
1415
157.2
113
184
14

RUSHING: TOTAL YARDS

Name, school  
Yards 
Yds/Gm 
Yds/Car. 
Att. 
TDs 

Lyndenn Hodge, Buena Park
1850
205.6
8.68
213
20

Julius Gillick, Edison
1489
186.1
10.20
146
19

Anthony Abad, Sonora
1394
174.2
8.20
170
18

Eimesse Essis, Tustin
1300
185.7
7.78
167
13

Jeff Brown, Estancia
1283
183.3
7.78
165
9

Ethan Mundt, Troy
1276
141.8
8.34
153
12

Jarett Sabol, Aliso Niguel
1259
139.9
6.39
197
13

Cooper Starnes, La Quinta
1207
150.9
13.87
87
22

Radley Geiss, Dana Hills
1152
128.0
6.40
180
13

Jake Dorsi, Savanna
1138
113.8
6.81
167
10

Quentin Pacelli, Garden Grove
1113
139.1
6.66
167
7

Xzavior Guess, El Modena
1109
123.2
10.87
102
15

Brandon Figueroa, Irvine
1100
137.5
8.09
136
9

Gavin Garza, Costa Mesa
1098
122.0
6.54
168
12

Nathan Gouvion, Foothill
1083
120.3
6.08
178
10

Makya Chee, El Toro
1080
120.0
10.69
101
12

Joshua Monroe, Capo Valley Christian
1059
117.7
9.13
116
11

Quaid Carr, Servite
1055
117.2
6.39
165
11

Isaac Galindo, Los Amigos
952
119.0
9.43
101
14

Wyatt Lucas, Corona del Mar
950
105.6
7.31
130
8

Nathan Aceves, Brea Olinda
914
101.6
8.31
110
18

Alexsay Nazaroff, Sonora
902
100.2
19.61
46
12

Matthew Peters, Calvary Chapel
846
94.0
7.76
109
7

Cole Nerio, Yorba Linda
845
93.9
5.56
152
13

RECEIVING: TOTAL YARDS 

Name, school  
Yards 
Yds/Gm 
Yds/Rec. 
Rec. 
TDs 

JJ Amezcua, Western
1193
132.6
15.10
79
17

Troy Foster, Huntington Beach
1126
125.1
19.41
58
13

Alex Kiernan, Trabuco Hills
1055
117.2
21.98
48
12

Vander Ploog, Troy
1038
115.3
16.74
62
19

Connor Smith, El Modena
945
105.0
18.17
52
10

Kellen Rommelfanger, Canyon
938
104.2
12.03
78
12

Gianni Porfilio, Orange
865
96.1
14.66
59
13

Fabrissio Ramirez, Savanna
861
86.1
13.67
63
10

Nicholas Cervantes, Segerstrom
832
104.0
23.77
35
8

Noah McClary, Canyon
823
91.4
14.44
57
7

Talon Spencer, Capistrano Valley
815
90.6
16.98
48
7

Nicholas Zamora, Buena Park
792
88.0
14.94
53
7

Max Krosky, Capo Valley Christian
790
87.8
11.13
71
7

Campbell Schamel, Tesoro
756
84.0
14.82
51
9

Vance Spafford, Mission Viejo
746
93.2
19.13
39
13

James Leicester, Dana Hills
732
81.3
14.94
49
10

Luke Doyle, El Toro
718
79.8
14.08
51
9

Steel Kurtz, Huntington Beach
713
79.2
13.98
51
4

Luke Taylor, Fountain Valley
688
76.4
14.64
47
7

Braiden Vaca, Tesoro
685
76.1
10.87
63
2

Trent Mosley, Santa Margarita
680
136.0
14.47
47
6

Carl Oldham, University
668
74.2
15.54
43
5

Noah Czaykowski, Beckman
659
73.2
16.90
39
4

Kaden Hunter, Capistrano Valley
635
70.6
13.80
46
12

Deacon Moss, Irvine
628
78.5
16.10
39
12

Dorsett Stecker, Corona del Mar
625
78.1
13.89
45
9

Edward Khutshivili, Esperanza
613
76.6
17.51
35
9

TACKLES: TOTAL

Name, school  
Tackles 
Tackles/Gm 
Solo 
Assist 
TFL 

Maxwell Mapstone, Portola
117
13.0
28
89
4.5

Thompson Foulger, Dana Hills
107
11.9
70
37
5

Max Krosky, Capo Valley Christian
101
11.2
77
24
1

Weston Port, San Juan Hills
94
10.4
58
36
11

Reily Walker, Capistrano Valley
92
10.2
71
21
4

Tyler White, Cypress
92
10.2
48
44
13

Isaac Real, Savanna
91
10.1
32
59
8

Roy Brown, Estancia
90
10.0
67
23
12

Carter Jones, Crean Lutheran
85
10.6
49
36
1

Brady Holcomb, Foothill
84
10.5
51
33
10

Wyatt Owens, Tesoro
84
9.3
59
25
5

Davis Post, Newport Harbor
84
9.3
49
35
1

Jose Jimenez, Century
84
9.3
45
39
0

Mike Lozano, Sonora
83
10.4
35
48
1

Julian Muro, Estancia
83
9.2
46
37
0

Matt Lopez, Edison
82
10.2
34
48
3

Noe Najera, Century
82
9.1
35
47
0

Chris Villalobos, Godinez
80
8.9
48
32
0

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​ Orange County Register 

Monster Dash brings spooky vibes to San Clemente

• October 28, 2024

Skeletons and monsters, even a lobster ran through San Clemente on Saturday, but the only thing they were chasing was a fun time.

San Clemente hosted its Monster Dash Fun Run, adding to the Halloween season’s spooky fun.

Saturday’s event started at the San Clemente Community Center, with the 5K dash that kicked off at 8:30 a.m. A Creepy Crawl 1-mile fun run followed for the kids.

The event, where many participants got decked out in costumes for the race, is now in its third year. Awards were handed out for best costumes and race winners.

There was also live music from the band Wigs and Ties to get the runners pumped up and a pancake breakfast to fuel the crowd.

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​ Orange County Register 

Election will test power of Californians’ backlash against crime

• October 28, 2024

Occasionally — perhaps once a generation — California experiences a sharp change in its political climate, upsetting whatever is considered the current norm.

The most obvious example occurred in 1978, when voters defied the almost universal advice from political figures and overwhelmingly adopted Proposition 13, which slashed property taxes and made taxes of any kind more difficult to impose.

The “tax revolt,” as it was dubbed, forced a complete overhaul of how schools and other state and local services were financed and has survived multiple efforts to change or repeal it.

Prop. 13 also forced the politicians who vociferously opposed it to adapt. Jerry Brown, the governor at the time, was running for re-election. He quickly recast himself as a “born-again tax cutter” and sought a state income tax reduction to prove his fidelity to the new paradigm.

Republicans seized the moment to make a serious bid for becoming the state’s dominant party, exploiting the twin issues of taxes and crime. Between 1980 and 1990, Republicans won eight of the 10 top-of-ticket races for president, governor and U.S. senator.

However the GOP surge fell short and by the late 1990s, in another climate change, Democrats had regained a dominance that has continued to expand. That said, California could be on the cusp of another atmospheric shift, one that could put the brakes on the party’s leftward tilt.

The issue is crime, which helped Republicans gain momentum in the 1980s and early 1990s, but seemingly had disappeared, at least in political terms, as Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom and other prominent political figures championed what they called “criminal justice reform” in recent years.

They railed against “mass incarceration,” persuaded voters and the Legislature to downplay the severity of some crimes, reduced criminal penalties, and sharply decreased the number of offenders behind bars. But they may have gone too far.

The Public Policy Institute of California, in a newly released study, found that overall violent crime rates and some categories of property crime, particularly auto thefts and shoplifting, remain higher than they were prior to the pandemic.

The public perception of a new crime wave has generated a strong backlash that next month’s election will test.

Proposition 36, which would partially undo Proposition 47, a 2014 criminal justice reform measure, enjoys 73% support in the latest Public Policy Institute of California survey, despite opposition from Newsom and other major Democratic figures.

Newsom tried to get the Legislature to undercut Prop. 36 with a rival measure, but Democratic legislators, wary of the backlash, refused. Newsom could then have raised money for an opposition campaign but backed away, saying “it’s a question of bandwidth.”

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“I fear I can’t do everything,” he told reporters in September. “I’ve got, trying to get Kamala Harris elected President of the United States, trying to get through these 900 bills.”

Translation: Newsom knew that Prop. 36 was a slam dunk and didn’t want to risk a massive repudiation by leading an opposition campaign.

While Prop. 36 is one test of what appears to be a public revolt against California’s recent softer-on-crime policies, it’s not the only one.

Two district attorneys who were elected on reform platforms, George Gascón in Los Angeles County and Pamela Price in Alameda County, could lose their jobs. Gascón is running behind in his bid for a new term, and Price faces a recall.

Were two prosecutors in very liberal counties to be ousted, two years after San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin was recalled, and were Prop. 36 to win massively, the political fallout could be felt for years, or even decades.

Dan Walters is a CalMatters columnist.

​ Orange County Register 

Making it easier for California’s students to transfer to other public schools is a crucial part of school choice

• October 28, 2024

In a big win for students, California’s cross-district open enrollment policy that lets public school students transfer to districts other than their assigned ones recently became permanent. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 897, removing sunset provisions from the District of Choice law. This is a step in the right direction for California’s students and schools.

During the 2022-23 school year, nearly 8,000 California students used the District of Choice program to attend a public school of their choice. According to data from the California Department of Education, 37% of participants in the open enrollment program were from low-income families, and most, 79%, were non-white. 

Since its launch in 1993, the District of Choice program has helped tens of thousands of students attend schools that are the right fit for them. The 2016 and 2021 reports published by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office found that students used the program to escape bullying, access specialized courses such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and art classes, and get hands-on training and career preparation. 

However, California’s open enrollment laws still have a lot of room for improvement. A new Reason Foundation report grades open enrollment laws in all 50 states and gives California a “D-.” California’s open enrollment laws do get several things right. They ensure public schools are free to all students, prohibit public school districts from discriminating against transfer applicants, and require public schools with extra seats to allow students to transfer within their assigned school district. 

As a result, 33 states score worse than California on open enrollment, but the state’s laws fall short in two critical ways. They don’t require schools to participate in cross-district open enrollment and lack transparency for parents and policymakers. The crucial weakness is the voluntary nature of California’s cross-district open enrollment programs, including the District of Choice. Too many public school districts can block transfer students from attending their public schools, even when they have open seats. 

The District of Choice program requires participating school districts to accept all transfer applicants so long as space is available. However, less than five percent of the state’s school districts participate in the program. Instead, most districts participate in a more restrictive cross-district transfer program–the Interdistrict Permit System, which only allows students to transfer to a new school if both the sending and receiving school districts agree. 

This means that school districts can prioritize their interests over students’ interests. The Legislative Analyst’s Office found most school districts block most outgoing transfers unless it is about “the availability of child care in the other district or the attendance of a sibling already enrolled in the other district.”

Additionally, data on this program is sorely lacking. The latest data from the 2018-19 school year showed over 146,000 students, or two percent of students enrolled in California’s traditional public schools, used the Interdistrict Permit System to attend a school other than their assigned one.

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Ideally, California would strengthen its open enrollment laws by requiring all school districts to participate in this type of cross-district open enrollment, which would improve its ranking to 4th-best in the nation in the Reason Foundation’s open enrollment study. 

State leaders need to make the open enrollment process more transparent. The California Department of Education should collect and publish annual reports showing the number of students using the Interdistrict Permit System, as it already does for the District of Choice program. California should model these annual reports after Wisconsin’s, which supply families, policymakers, and taxpayers with crucial transfer data each year. The state should also require school districts to post their open enrollment policies and available capacity in classrooms by grade level on their websites so parents can find and review them.

The District of Choice law is a good step, and with a few other reforms, California could make it dramatically easier for students to attend the best public school for them.

Jude Schwalbach is an education policy analyst and author of the new study “Public Schools Without Boundaries,” which grades and ranks every state’s open enrollment laws. 

​ Orange County Register 

‘Bob’s Burgers’ actor sentenced to 1 year in prison for role in Capitol riot

• October 28, 2024

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

WASHINGTON — An actor known for his roles in the television comedies “Bob’s Burgers” and “Arrested Development” was sentenced on Monday to one year in prison for his part in a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol nearly four years ago.

Jay Johnston, 56, of Los Angeles, joined other rioters in a “heave ho” push against police officers guarding a tunnel entrance to the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Johnston also cracked jokes and interacted with other rioters as he used a cellphone to record the violence around him, prosecutors said.

Johnston expressed regret that he “made it more difficult for the police to do their job” on Jan. 6. He said he never would have guessed that a riot would erupt that day.

List: Southern California residents accused or convicted in the Capitol insurrection

“That was because of my own ignorance, I believe,” he told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols. “If I had been more political, I could have seen that coming, perhaps.”

The judge, who sentenced Johnston to one year and one day of imprisonment, allowed him to remain free after the hearing and report to prison at a date to be determined. Nichols said he recognizes that Johnston will miss out on caring for his 13-year-old autistic daughter while he is behind bars.

“But his conduct on January 6th was quite problematic. Reprehensible, really,” the judge said.

Johnston pleaded guilty in July to interfering with police officers during a civil disorder, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Prosecutors recommended an 18-month prison sentence for Johnston. Their sentencing memo includes a photograph of a smiling Johnston dressed as Jacob Chansley, the spear-carrying Capitol rioter known as the “QAnon Shaman,” at a Halloween party roughly two years after the siege.

“He thinks his participation in one of the most serious crimes against our democracy is a joke,” prosecutors wrote.

Johnston played pizzeria owner Jimmy Pesto Sr. in “Bob’s Burgers,” a police officer in “Arrested Development” and a street-brawling newsman in the movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” Johnston also appeared on “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” an HBO sketch comedy series that starred Bob Odenkirk and David Cross.

Johnston, a Chicago native, moved to Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue an acting career. After the riot, Johnston was fired by the creator of “Bob’s Burgers,” lost a role in a movie based on the show and has “essentially been blacklisted” in Hollywood, said defense attorney Stanley Woodward.

“Instead, Mr. Johnston has worked as a handyman for the last two years — an obvious far cry from his actual expertise and livelihood in film and television,” Woodward wrote.

Woodward accused the government of exaggerating Johnston’s riot participation “because he is an acclaimed Hollywood actor.”

Johnston attended then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6 before he marched to the Capitol. He used a metal bike rack to scale a stone wall to reach the Capitol’s West Plaza before making his way to the mouth of a tunnel entrance that police were guarding on the Lower West Terrace.

“When he was under the archway, he turned and waved to other rioters, beckoning them to join him in fighting the police,” prosecutors wrote.

Entering the tunnel, Johnston helped other rioters flush chemical irritants out of their eyes. Another rioter gave him a stolen police shield, which he handed up closer to the police line. Johnston then joined other rioters in a “heave ho” push against police in the tunnel, a collective effort that crushed an officer against a door frame, prosecutors said.

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Johnston recorded himself cracking a joke as rioters pushed an orange ladder toward police in the tunnel, saying, “We’re going to get those light bulbs fixed!”

A day after the riot, in a text message to an acquaintance, Johnston acknowledged being at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“The news has presented it as an attack. It actually wasn’t. Thought it kind of turned into that. It was a mess,” Johnston wrote.

FBI agents seized Johnston’s cellphone when they searched his California home in June 2021.

More than 1,500 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Over 1,000 rioters have been convicted and sentenced. Roughly 650 of them received prison time ranging from a few days to 22 years.

​ Orange County Register 

Republicans ask US Supreme Court to block counting of some provisional ballots in Pennsylvania

• October 28, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order in Pennsylvania that could result in thousands of votes not being counted in this year’s election in the battleground state.

Just over a week before the election, the court is being asked to step into a dispute over provisional ballots cast by Pennsylvania voters whose mail ballots are rejected for not following technical procedures in state law.

The state’s high court ruled 4-3 that elections officials must count provisional ballots cast by voters whose mail-in ballots were voided because they arrived without mandatory secrecy envelopes.

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The election fight arrived at the Supreme Court the same day Virginia sought the justices’ intervention in a dispute over purging voter registrations.

Four years ago, the high court weighed in on pandemic-inspired changes in voting rules in several states, including Pennsylvania.

In their high-court filing, state and national Republicans asked for an order putting the state court ruling on hold or, barring that, requiring the provisional ballots be segregated and not included in the official vote count while the legal fight plays out.

They argued that the legislature did not provide for giving voters a do-over if they make mistakes on ballots they put in the mail.

Secrecy envelopes keep ballots concealed as elections workers open the stamped outer envelopes used to mail the whole packets back. Voters also must sign and date the exterior envelopes. Pennsylvania voters have so far applied for 2 million mail ballots.

Two voters in western Pennsylvania’s Butler County sued after the local board of elections rejected the provisional votes they cast once they were informed of problems with the ballots they had mailed.

A county judge had upheld the election officials’ decisions.

Mail-in ballot rules in Pennsylvania changed drastically under a 2019 law, widely expanding their use and producing a series of lawsuits.

Most counties — but not all — help inform voters in advance of Election Day that their mail-in ballot will be rejected, giving them the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot at their polling place, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.

​ Orange County Register