Dayhoff v. Weaver’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

9 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 10 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The vote may be the central act in our democratic form of government. To advance the goal of free and fair elections, the legislature enacted the Election Code, and it is often said that in the interest of preventing fraud, the terms of the Election Code must be strictly enforced. E.g., In re Luzerne County Return, 447 Pa. 418 , 290 A.2d 108 (1972). At the same time, the purpose of the Election Code is to protect, not defeat, a citizen’s vote. Our Supreme Court has directed that technicalities should not make the right to vote insecure, but instead, the statute should be construed to indulge that right. Appeal of James, 377 Pa. 405 , 105 A.2d 64 (1954). These principles are difficult to reconcile. On balance, we believe that they mean that the terms of the Election Code must be satisfied without exception but where, as a factual matter, voter intent is clear, questions should be resolved in favor of holding that the Election Code has been satisfied.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. In re the 2003 Election for Jackson Township Supervisor

2. “(a) General rule. — Except as provided in subsection (b), [which is inapplicable herein] the Commonwealth Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from final orders of the courts of common pleas in the following cases: [[Image here]] (4) Local government civil and criminal matters. (i) All actions or proceedings arising under any municipality, institution district, public school, planning or zoning code or under which a municipality or other political subdivision or municipality authority may be formed or incorporated or where is drawn in question the application, interpretation or enforcement of any: (C) statute relating to elections, campaign financing or other election procedures.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 2013 Pa. Super. 291 - Gordon v. Philadelphia County Democratic Executive Committee