Bucks County board chair says comment about violating election law has been misinterpreted

Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia said Monday that her comments about violating the Pennsylvania Supreme Court were taken out of context after they set off a national backlash against the county’s election board.

Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, blamed a “misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on my part” after her comment drew rebukes from President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign and the state’s Democratic governor, among a host of others, after Bucks County was one of several that defied a guidance from the state’s high court and voted to accept undated mail ballots.

“I apologize for all the upset and confusion it caused,” Ellis-Marseglia said about her comments.

Last week, Ellis-Marseglia contended the court precedent no longer matters in this country in justifying her vote to include ballots deemed deficient by the state Supreme Court

“People violate laws any time they want,” she added. “So, for me, if I violate this law it’s because I want a court to pay attention. There’s nothing more important than counting votes.”

The comment came under sharp scrutiny from national Republicans as the Senate race between Republican Dave McCormick and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey goes into recount with Casey trailing by less than half a percentage point.

Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita suggested Sunday evening Bucks County Commissioners, including Ellis-Marseglia, “will go to jail”

But she has also received some reprimand from Democrats, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who broke his silence on the recount to admonish counties for disregarding the high court’s rulings.

“Any insinuation that our laws can be ignored or do not matter is irresponsible and does damage to faith in our electoral process,” Shapiro said. “It is critical for counties and officials in both parties to respect it with both their rhetoric and their actions.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reiterated its stance Monday with an additional ruling instructing against the inclusion of undated mail ballots, which the Bucks official said Monday brought the clarity she wanted.

“This is exactly what I was hoping for, for the court to weigh in and give us clarity,” Ellis-Marseglia said. “We were under a stay, and now we have full clarity.”