Timothy Gates of Pennsylvania Department of State. Courtesy photo Timothy Gates of Pennsylvania Department of State. Courtesy photo

Timothy Gates, Pennsylvania Department of State

Pennsylvania was ground zero for litigation challenging the 2020 election and, despite the inauguration of President Joe Biden, has continued to be the leading battleground for a myriad of election-related litigation. Over the past year and a half, some 37 cases were filed. These cases included attempts to halt the certification of Pennsylvania's election and invalidate Pennsylvania's landmark (and bi-partisan) legislation that authorizes no-excuse mail-in voting for all qualified voters. Other challenges included Pennsylvania's Supreme Court's short extension of time for the receipt of absentee and mail-in ballots and attempts to discard ballots because of minor defects on the outer envelopes. These cases were litigated in numerous state courts as well as every federal district in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gates successfully managed these cases (strategizing with and managing the efforts of outside counsel) and, without his significant efforts, Pennsylvania would not have succeeded in these "bet-the-farm" matters that threatened our very democracy.

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