[Hoot Gibson]

Article II of the U.S. Constitution grants the power to make rules for elections and to select electors to the Electoral College to state legislatures. Pennsylvania Republicans control its legislature. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court circumvented the Pennsylvania Legislature's exclusive authority to set election rules by extending the deadline for accepting mail-in ballots. This is one of the issues raised by the Trump campaign in its suit that is before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Pennsylvania Republicans Call on Democrat Governor to Audit Election

Top Republicans in the Pennsylvania Legislature reportedly called on Gov. Tom Wolf (D) Friday to carry out an “immediate audit” of the 2020 elections, citing the existence of an “unprecedented” 105,000 provisional ballots, among other things.

The Morning Call revealed that House Speaker Bryan Cutler, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, and House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, all Republicans in the Pennsylvania Legislature, called for the audit.

Except for Corman, the GOP legislators raised the specter of voter fraud, echoing President Donald Trump and other Republicans.

Pennsylvania House Speaker Cutler reportedly told reporters the audit was necessary “to ensure that the election process can be verified as accurate.”

The Morning Call noted:

Cutler ticked off a list of issues related to the conduct of the election. They included:

• The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, he said, “unconstitutionally” extended the deadline for late ballots, and the issue ended up at the U.S. Supreme Court. In a letter to Wolf, Cutler said, “This judicial intervention created unnecessary chaos and uncertainty.”
  
  
• Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, the letter said, issued conflicting guidance to counties on how to manage late-arriving ballots.
  
  
• Poll watchers, which Cutler described as key to promoting fairness and transparency, were not allowed to observe pre-canvassing and canvassing activity.
  
  
• The existence of 105,000 requested provisional ballots “are indicative of voter issues across the Commonwealth.”