Reuters: A judge in the swing state of Pennsylvania extended until Friday the deadline for Bucks County voters to request an absentee ballot after Donald Trump’s campaign was sued, alleging that some supporters seeking ballots had been wrongly rejected.

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, the Trump campaign, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick and the Republican National Committee said a county office on Tuesday sent home voters who formed long lines before the date 5 p.m. deadline to request an absentee ballot. .

Voters in Bucks County, who narrowly voted for Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, will have until Friday to request, receive or return an absentee ballot, according to an order from Judge Jeffrey Trauger.

Pennsylvania is one of seven states, known as battleground states, that could decide Tuesday’s presidential election. Her 19 electoral votes are considered crucial to either Trump or his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“This is a historic victory that will allow our voters to vote in accordance with Pennsylvania law,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley told reporters, adding that he did not know whether the three-year extension days would benefit Democrats or Republicans.

Democrats have relied heavily on mail-in voting in recent elections, and Trump has so far made unfounded claims that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election and that mail-in votes are likely to be fraudulent.

Bucks County, north of Philadelphia, said in a statement it was happy to extend the deadline and urged the state Legislature to pass reforms to clarify election laws.

“We strongly believe in the right to vote,” the statement said.

The lawsuit alleged that some voters waiting in line were asked by security officials to leave the premises before the 5 p.m. deadline. State officials previously said anyone in line at 5 p.m. would have the opportunity to request a ballot.

Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania’s top elections official, said in a video posted to X on Wednesday after the lawsuit was filed that videos of the scene shared on social media “lacked proper context or were inaccurate.”

Schmidt said elections officials are required to verify the identities of voters who receive ballots, a process that can take a long time.

Trump and his Republican allies launched a series of lawsuits before the election, many aimed at imposing restrictions on the casting and counting of mail-in ballots.

Democrats and pro-democracy advocates have said the Republican legal campaign appears aimed at laying the groundwork for a challenge to the results if Trump loses. The RNC said the cases were intended to ensure the integrity of the vote.

The RNC asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to block Pennsylvania from counting mail-in ballots rejected due to voter error.