### Mass Rejection Efforts Target Pennsylvania Mail-In Ballots, Stir Concerns

A coordinated attempt to disqualify thousands of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania, a pivotal battleground state, has ignited worries among voting rights advocates and frustrated local election officials. The campaign, seemingly driven by a few key individuals, aims to discard ballots from overseas voters and challenge the validity of those who had previously requested mail forwarding to different addresses.

Multiple counties across Pennsylvania have reported receiving these challenges, with some election boards dismissing them as lacking merit. Ari Savitzky, a senior attorney for the ACLU, criticized the effort for causing unnecessary anxiety among voters and burdening election boards with unwarranted tasks during a critical election period that could influence the presidential race.

In Bucks County, nearly 1,200 challenges against overseas voters were filed just 15 minutes before the Friday 5 p.m. deadline, according to county spokesperson Jim O'Malley. These challenges were primarily submitted by Pennsylvania state Sen. Jarrett Coleman, who also filed 519 challenges in Lehigh County.

Another instance includes Pennsylvania state Sen. Cris Dush, who lodged 77 challenges in Centre County. Both Senators Coleman and Dush did not respond to CNN's requests for comments. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt's office condemned the actions as "bad-faith mass challenges" based on repeatedly dismissed theories by courts.

The collective effort has challenged over 3,000 ballots from American voters abroad and hundreds more through the use of the US Postal Service database to target mail voters who changed their addresses. This legal assault aligns with similar initiatives by Republicans and conservative groups in several battleground states, following Democratic efforts to mobilize overseas citizens.

Chester County promptly rejected 212 voter challenges at a Friday hearing where many contested their eligibility, with some identifying as students studying out-of-state. In Lycoming County, 71 overseas ballots were challenged by Karen DiSalvo, while Washington and Beaver counties saw 265 applications challenged by Charles Faltenovich, associated with PA Fair Elections.

DiSalvo and Faltenovich each used voter status and non-military status as criteria for their challenges. Election law expert Michael Morley noted that Pennsylvania law does not explicitly address voter registration requirements for overseas citizens, who retain the right to vote in their last U.S. residence state by federal law.

The resolution deadline for these challenges is set for November 8, the same day Lycoming County's Board of Elections will address its pending challenges. Both voters and challengers have the right to appeal the board’s decisions in Pennsylvania court, a course of action DiSalvo indicated she would consider if her challenges are dismissed.