Trump’s Fight to Overturn Election Faces Key Test in Pennsylvania Court

US District Judge Matthew Brann, who sits in Williamsport, will hear arguments in a lawsuit the Trump campaign brought on November 9 that seeks to halt the state's top election official from certifying Biden, a Democrat, as the winner.

The campaign and Trump supporters have filed a flurry of lawsuits in multiple states challenging the November 3 election but have yet to overturn any votes. Pennsylvania has been a fixture of those efforts and any hope of reversing the election hangs on outcome in the state.

The Trump campaign, after narrowing the scope of the case, is focusing on a claim that voters were improperly allowed to fix ballots rejected because of technical errors like a missing "secrecy envelope."

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar is due to certify the election results on November 23, meaning Brann is expected to rule quickly.

On Monday, three lawyers representing the Trump campaign asked to withdraw from the case, saying the campaign had consented but offering little explanation. Brann allowed two of three to drop out of the case.

A new lawyer hired on Monday, Marc Scaringi, asked Brann to postpone the hearing so he could prepare, but the judge denied the request.

Biden clinched the election with his victory in Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Edison Research said on Friday Biden had won 306 Electoral College votes to Republican Trump’s 232.

In the Pennsylvania case, the Trump campaign alleges Democratic-leaning counties unlawfully identified mail-in ballots before Election Day that had defects so that voters could fix, or "cure," them.