The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling reiterating its previous stance that undated or misdated mail ballots should not be counted in the 2024 election, dealing a blow to Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s hopes that a recount and litigation will help him overcome his more than 15,000-vote deficit to Republican Dave McCormick.
The 4-3 ruling, which was requested by the Republican Party and opposed by Casey’s campaign, followed moves by elections officials in Democratic-controlled counties — including Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery — to have the ballots counted despite the high court instructing them to exclude those votes earlier in the year. The ruling applies to all counties.
» READ MORE: Undated mail ballots won’t be counted in next week’s election, Pa. Supreme Court rules
Democrats in those counties and elsewhere have pushed to include mail ballots with defects related to the dates voters are required to write on them because the dates are not used by election administrators to determine whether ballots are legitimate. Instead, they only count ballots that are received between when the ballots are distributed and Election Day, making it impossible for a vote to be counted outside of that timeframe regardless of what date a voter writes on the ballot.
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Republicans have argued that those votes must be excluded from the count because state law requires voters to date their mail ballots. McCormick’s campaign joined the GOP lawsuit after it was filed.
While the ruling settles how these types of ballots are handled this year, the longer legal battle may not be over because the court has not yet weighed in on the underlying question of whether rejecting undated ballots on what Democrats describe as a technicality constitutes a violation of rights guaranteed to voters by the state constitution.
In a ruling issued shortly before Election Day, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court found that it did, though that case centered on a special election held in Philadelphia earlier this year. The state Supreme Court stayed the lower court’s decision before Election Day, deciding at the time that it was too close to the Nov. 5 vote for any last-minute changes to rules surrounding which votes should be counted.
Democratic Justices David Wecht and Kevin Dougherty were joined by Republican Justices Kevin Brobson and Sallie Updyke Mundy in the majority decision Monday. Democratic Justices Debra Todd, Christine Donohue, and Daniel McCaffery dissented.
The total number of ballots in question is likely well under 10,000 and would not be enough to erase Casey’s deficit alone. But the three-term incumbent is also in legal fights with McCormick’s team over how various counties have handled certain categories of provisional ballots across the state.
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The Associated Press has called the race for McCormick, but Casey has declined to concede.
Casey campaign manager Tiernan Donohue said Monday that the Democrat wants to ensure all legitimate votes are counted and is being opposed by McCormick’s campaign efforts to “disenfranchise” Pennsylvanians.
“Senator Casey is fighting to ensure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard and to protect their right to participate in our democracy – just like he has done throughout his entire career,” Casey campaign manager Tiernan Donohue said. “Meanwhile, David McCormick and the national Republicans are working to throw out provisional ballots cast by eligible Pennsylvania voters and accepted by county boards.”
McCormick spokesperson Elizabeth Gregory cast the ruling as a “massive setback to Senator Casey’s attempt to count illegal ballots.”
“Bucks County and others blatantly violated the law in an effort to help Senator Casey,” Gregory said. “Senator-elect McCormick is very pleased with this ruling and looks forward to taking the Oath of Office in a few short weeks.”
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Staff writer Jeremy Roebuck, Gillian McGoldrick, Katie Bernard, and Fallon Roth contributed to this article.
Is Pennsylvania the most wrestling-centric state in the country? Does the Keystone State have the most talent? Or even the top talent? Is it harder to win a state title there than anywhere else?
These all are terrific questions, and the answers may vary depending on who you ask and where they’re from, much like our nation’s great pizza debate, where the answers will vary by region.
What we do know for sure, is that Pennsylvania is well-represented in the 2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings, but with the 2026 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys & Girls Individual State Wrestling Championships on the horizon, where do the competitors rank amongst their peers?
If you follow high school wrestling, you’ve probably already heard many of the names, whether it was at past PIAA events, national tournaments, international competition, college recruiting news or signings, etc.
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Now, here they are listed by weight class in FloWrestling’s latest Pennsylvania-only rankings.
Among the most recognizable are Bishop McCort senior Bo Bassett (152 pounds), his brother and teammate Melvin Miller (172 pounds) and Adam Waters (189 pounds) from rival school Faith Christian Academy.
As you get ready to see who takes home the titles at the 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships, set for March 5-7 at GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, here’s a look at where everyone falls in the pecking order:
What Are The Weight Classes For High School Wrestling In Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania High School Wrestling Rankings Before 2026 PIAA State Championships
As of Feb. 22, 2026
Boys
Girls
When Are The 2026 PIAA Boys & Girls Individual State Wrestling Championships?
The 2026 PIAA Boys & Girls Individual State Wrestling Championships will take place March 5-7, live on FloWrestling and the FloSports app.
The first girls wrestling champions in PIAA action were determined in 2024.
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The road back to GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, began with regional competition across 12 sites (eight boys, four girls) in February (Feb. 20-21; Feb. 22; Feb. 27-28; Feb. 28)
Among the highlights at the 2025 event was Bassett winning his second individual PIAA state championship and helping Bishop McCort to a Class AA runner-up finish behind Faith Christian.
Read more: 2025 PIAA Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets
How To Watch The 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships
Live coverage of the 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championshipson March 5-7 will be broadcast on FloWrestling and the FloSports app, with news, notes, stats and more available on both platforms.
Archives will be available immediately following the conclusion of each match.
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If you’re going to be in the area and want to catch the action in person, click here for spectator and ticket information.
Read more: 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships Schedule & Brackets
2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships Brackets
Here’s where you’ll be able to find the brackets for the 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships:
2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships Schedule
Here’s a look at when everything is going down:
All Times Eastern
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Wednesday, March 4
4-7 p.m. – Media registration
4-7 p.m. – School registration (AA/Girls/AAA)
4-7 p.m. – Qualifying wrestlers’ workout (AA/Girls/AAA) (six mats)
6 p.m. – Officials’ meeting
Thursday, March 5 (Session 1)
7:30 a.m. – Media registration
7:30 a.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AA)
7:30 a.m. – Late school registration (AA)
7:45 a.m. – Skin condition check (AA)
8 a.m. – Weigh-ins (AA)
9 a.m. – Preliminaries and first round (AA), six mats (52/104 matches)
12:30 p.m. – First-round consolations (AA), six mats
12:30 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (Girls)
12:30 p.m. – Late school registration (Girls)
12:45 p.m. – Skin condition check (Girls)
1 p.m. – Weigh-ins (Girls)
2 p.m. – First round (Girls), six mats (104 matches)
3 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AAA)
3 p.m. – Late school registration (AAA)
3:15 p.m. – Skin condition check (AAA)
3:30 p.m. – Weigh-ins (AAA)
3:30 p.m. – First-round consolations (Girls), six mats (52 matches)
4:30 p.m. – Preliminaries and first round (AAA), six mats (52/104 matches)
8 p.m. – First-round consolations (AAA), six mats (52 matches)
Friday, March 6 (Session 2/Session 3)
6:30 a.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AA)
6:45 a.m. – Skin condition check (AA)
7 a.m. – Weigh-ins (AA)
8 a.m. – Quarterfinals (AA), three mats (52 matches)
8 a.m. – Second-round consolations (AA), three mats (52 matches)
10:15 a.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (Girls)
10:30 a.m. – Third-round consolations (AA), three mats (52 matches)
10:30 a.m. – Skin condition check (Girls)
10:45 a.m. – Weigh-ins (Girls)
11:45 a.m. – Quarterfinals (Girls), six mats (52 matches)
12:45 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AAA)
1 p.m. – Skin condition check (AAA)
1:15 p.m. – Weigh-ins (AAA)
1:15 p.m. – Second-round consolations (Girls), six mats (52 matches)
2:15 p.m. – Quarterfinals (AAA), three mats (52 matches)
2:15 p.m. – Second-round consolations (AAA), three mats (52 matches)
4:45 p.m. – Third-round consolations (AAA), six mats (52 matches)
6:15 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AA/Girls/AAA)
When Was The 2026 PIAA Team Wrestling State Championships?
The 2026 PIAA Team Wrestling State Championships took place Feb. 6-7 at the 1st Summit Arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and included 20 teams that survived the preliminary and first round of the tournament, which was held Feb. 3 at host schools across the state.
The advancing teams made their way to Johnstown for two more days of intense competition, with the 1st Summit Arena hosting the quarterfinals through the championship matches.
In Pennsylvania this year, there were 475 schools participating in boys wrestling.
They were divided into two classifications – 228 schools in AA and 247 schools in AAA – which are further split into 12 districts. Class AA is for schools with 1-308 male enrollees, and Class AAA wrestling includes schools with 309-9999 male students.
Read more: 2026 PIAA Team Wrestling State Championships Schedule & Brackets
Did You Know: PIAA Wrestling Has A Long History
The first state wrestling championships in Keystone State happened in 1938, while the girls were added to the action in 2024. The PIAA Team Wrestling State Championships debuted in 1999.
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There are 14 four-time individual state champions in Pennsylvania. Another 30 have won three times.
2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings
Top 20 as of Feb. 18, 2026
Curious about how the top wrestlers from each state stack up against competitors from across the country?
Click here to see the latest high school rankings from FloWrestling.
FULL DUAL: Bishop McCort vs. Faith Christian | 2026 PIAA AA Team State Finals
Faith Christian has been dominant in team wrestling in Pennsylvania, and Bishop McCort keeps falling just short.
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Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling
Trackwrestling officially has merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform.
Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.
This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.
FloWrestling Archived Footage
Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
A man has been cited after police said he drove a vehicle into a frozen pond at a country club in Pennsylvania, left the scene, then spent the night in a hotel.
According to the East Lampeter Township Police Department, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, around 10:38 a.m., officers were called to the Lancaster Country Club after receiving reports about a vehicle in a pond.
Police said that, through an investigation, it was learned that Sung Chun, a 50-year-old man from Hoboken, New Jersey, had driven onto the property the day before around 8:30 p.m., crossed portions of the golf course, and ultimately ended up in a pond.
Chun then exited the vehicle and walked away without reporting the incident and spent the night at a nearby hotel, according to police.
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Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Police said Chun returned to the location while police were on scene investigating the incident and was ultimately cited with “Trespass by Motor Vehicle.”
In rural Pennsylvania, State College houses Penn State against a backdrop of beautiful country scenery. The university hosts many events, arts performances, and lively festivals that give the town year-round excitement that blends student life with local charm. Visitors can attend a football game, explore nearby parks and trails, and savor the town’s growing culinary scene of pubs and local eateries.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/ETTGEIY555ZMV3LQYZ5PJNNCKY.jpg?ssl=1 "Pa. Supreme Court again rules that Philly and other counties cannot count undated mail ballots")
