Even after Chester County’s Board of Elections recently voted, 2-1, to reject 14 provisional ballots that were time-stamped after the Oct. 11 deadline, the saga surrounding the 156th Legislative District race between Democrat Carolyn Comitta and incumbent Republican Dan Truitt seems far from over.

According to a report in the Daily Local News by Michael Rellahan, Judge Jacqueline Carroll Cody presided over a hearing on the matter Thursday. At issue was whether the Pennsylvania Department of State is a proper place to have voter registration forms accepted ahead of election deadlines, and if the local county election agency’s decision is the only one that counts.

To sum up: On election night, Truitt was said to be ahead by 78 votes, but after absentee and other ballots were added to the results, Comitta had reportedly gained an 18-vote lead.

The department’s chief of election services testified that it was common practice to accept forms that came to its office by mail, and then forward them on to the local county election bureau, even if they were received after the deadline. She indicated that the ballots were received before the deadline.

Because the provisional ballots remained sealed, no one knows what affect they might have on the election.

Cody will likely offer her ruling early next week.

Click here to read more about the 156th District race in the Daily Local News.