Montco Commissioner Makhija Appears On CNN, Discusses Ballot Count

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija stepped into the national spotlight Thursday as he appeared on "Erin Burnett OutFront" on CNN to discuss the ballot counting controversy in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race had undergone an automatic recount, which was triggered by the tiny margin between Dave McCormick and Bob Casey. Casey conceded the race on Thursday.

Makhija, Montgomery County's elections chief, has been a vocal proponent of counting votes with minor errors on the ballot, such as the incorrect date. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ordered the county, along with Philadelphia, to stop counting ballots with these errors.

"Every eligible citizens who casts a ballot deserves to have their vote counted," Makhija said. "I will continue to fight for constitutional rights, regardless of party."

Watch a clip of Makhija's appearance on CNN here.

In addition to the rebuke from the Democrat-run state Supreme Court, Makhija has unsurprisingly drawn the ire of Republicans near and far. Even before the high court ruling, Elon Musk said that Montgomery County and other Pennsylvania counties were "doing crime" by counting the undated ballots.

Of course, it's impossible to ignore the political context here: the Republican McCormick held a very narrow lead in the race, and the GOP favored counting no more votes. The Democrat Casey was trailing, and most Democrats — though not the state Supreme Court — favor counting the undated ballots.