The ruling affirms the decision made by Pennsylvania election officials that matching signatures from ballots to those on the voter file is not necessary to prevent fraud.

"We conclude that the Election Code does not authorize or require county election boards to reject absentee or mail-in ballots during the canvassing process based on an analysis of a voter's signature," the state Supreme Court wrote in an opinion signed by six of the seven justices, five of which are Democrat appointees to the bench.

The court is directing "the county boards of elections not to reject absentee or mail-in ballots for counting, computing, and tallying based on signature comparisons conducted by county election officials or employees, or as the result of third party challenges based on such comparisons."