U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly has lost once more in his attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election in Pennsylvania.
In its second unanimous ruling against Mr. Kelly in five days, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday denied his request to stay its Saturday order that dismissed his lawsuit.
In a one-line order, seven justices refused Mr. Kelly's request that the court invalidate more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots and stop the state's certification of the Nov. 3 election results.
Mr. Kelly, R-Butler, asked for the stay on Wednesday while the U.S. Supreme Court considers the petition for appeal that he filed on Tuesday over the state Supreme Court ruling.
With the stay, he wanted the state Supreme Court to temporarily halt the certification process, though the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, has already certified the Nov. 3 election results for Democrat Joe Biden over President Donald Trump.
Mr. Kelly is claiming that the 2.5 million mail-in ballots used on Nov. 3 in Pennsylvania represent illegal votes. The Trump ally is claiming that the 2019 state law that authorized universal, no-excuses mail-in voting is unconstitutional and that only an amendment to the state constitution could have made universal mail-in voting legal in Pennsylvania.
On Saturday, the state Supreme Court added to the court losses of Mr. Trump and other Republicans in dismissing Mr. Kelly's suit on the grounds that he waited too long to challenge the 2019 law.
Mr. Kelly wants the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case before the Electoral College meets Dec. 14. He is trying to wrest Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes away from Mr. Biden, though Mr. Biden would still defeat Mr. Trump in the Electoral College even without Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes.
First Published: December 3, 2020, 8:40 p.m.