A Pennsylvania judge extended the deadline until 5 p.m. Friday to Bucks County residents to request, receive and vote by mail in person, following a legal challenge to that of Donald Trump campaign.

In a ruling Wednesday, Bucks County Court Judge Jeffrey G. Trauger found that county officials violated state election laws by turning away residents who had waited in line, in some cases for hours , in front of county offices to request and vote before the state deadline. to 5 p.m. Tuesday.

As the number of voters exceeded what county election officials could process that day, administrators began cutting the line as early as 2:40 p.m. and offering those still waiting other ways to request a mail-in ballot. correspondence and voting.

In its lawsuit, the Trump campaign argued that the county ignored guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of State that those who stood in line before the 5 p.m. deadline should have been able to request, receive and drop off their ballots on Tuesday.

“Instead of complying with the letter and spirit of the Election Code, as well as the directive of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the board ordered security officials to evict certain voters…some of whom had been waiting in line for hours only to be fired. away,” wrote Wally S. Zimolong, a GOP election lawyer representing the campaign in their lawsuit.

The lawsuit — which Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley touted at a Trump rally Tuesday night in Allentown — comes as Pennsylvania is rocked by a wave of litigation and complaints over the state’s voting process of the battlefield.

In addition to the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and the campaign of Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick have signed on as plaintiffs in the Bucks County lawsuit.

Also Wednesday, the state Democratic Party sued Erie County on ongoing problems with mail-in voting which he said affected between 10,000 and 20,000 voters.

Meanwhile, the state’s Commonwealth Court issued a ruling that injected new uncertainty into the highly contentious debate over whether undated mail-in ballots should be counted in official counts.

In response to these issues, Trump falsely stated on his social media platform Wednesday morning: “Pennsylvania is cheating and getting caught, at levels rarely seen before. »

But state and county election administrators argue that the former president and his allies are capitalizing on the types of common problems that arise and are smoothly resolved during each election cycle to paint a false picture of chaos and fraud.

» LEARN MORE: Republicans are frustrated with long lines and early cutoffs for in-person absentee voting in Bucks County. This highlights the limitations of Pa’s law.

In a statement Wednesday, Bucks County officials said they would extend the deadline in accordance with the court’s ruling, while emphasizing that they have been working for years to make it easier for residents to vote.

“We thank the Board of Elections staff for their professionalism and ask that county residents show them consideration, understanding and kindness as they carry out the important work of holding free and fair elections,” the statement said.

As lines were cut Tuesday afternoon outside the county administration building, election workers handed out stacks of absentee ballot applications on clipboards to those at the end of the line.

Voters were given the opportunity to fill out a form and choose whether they wanted it mailed to them or picked up Wednesday.

And despite the frustrations of those who had waited hours to vote by mail in person and then were turned away, they had — and still have — other options for voting.

Before Tuesday’s ballot request deadline, they could have requested an absentee ballot online – rather than waiting in line for hours – then either mailed their ballot or dropped it off at state offices. county at any time before Election Day.

Those who missed the original deadline – or the extension until Friday – can still vote at the polls on Tuesday.

Trump and his allies hailed Wednesday’s decision as a victory.

In a call with reporters, William McGinley, outside counsel for the RNC, said, “Today’s decision is really a victory of sorts to ensure that Pennsylvanians will benefit from a safe and orderly process.” »

Staff writers William Bender and Katie Bernard contributed to this article.