Girl spends $1100 to fly 15 hrs after her mail-in vote got rejected, hailed a hero

Lexi Harder, a graduate student, traveled 4,000 miles from Germany to guarantee the validity of her vote following the unexpected return of her ballot.

Lexi Harder refused to be deterred when her 2024 U.S. election mail-in ballot came back unexpectedly. With determination and resolve, the 30-year-old graduate student embarked on a remarkable journey to guarantee her vote was cast and her opinion mattered. From Germany to Pennsylvania, her extraordinary efforts garnered widespread acclaim, showcasing her unwavering commitment.

A young woman makes a journey from Germany to Pennsylvania to participate in voting.

Lexi Harder emerged as a notable figure in the recent elections for her extraordinary efforts to ensure her vote was counted in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Despite being a 30-year-old graduate student residing in Berlin, she was disheartened when her filled-out mail-in ballot was sent back to her unexpectedly mere days before the Election Day.

Harder swiftly made up her mind: in less than a day, she secured a return flight worth more than $1,100, covering a distance of over 4,000 miles. Following a grueling 15-hour trip, Harder touched down in Pennsylvania. There, she handed in her absentee ballot and cast her vote in person, adhering to the necessary regulation ensuring her ballot’s timely inclusion, thereby avoiding the uncertainty of a provisional ballot transference.

She mentioned that it was truly invaluable,” she expressed. “I would have gladly tripled the amount to return.” Although her ballot had successfully made its way to Pennsylvania, it inexplicably found its way back to her without a valid explanation. As reported by WPVI, the ballot had passed through customs and reached its intended location, only to be redirected to Germany for reasons that remain undisclosed.

Harder told the media that the package had its outer envelope opened and resealed by customs. She noted that the package was still sealed upon its return to her.

There is a possibility of an increase in provisional ballots due to the mail ballot regulations in Pennsylvania.

Concerns have been sparked by recent reports indicating the possibility of a substantial increase in provisional ballots in Pennsylvania following the November 5 elections due to the revised mail ballot regulations. However, a resolution of legal issues has led to the potential rejection of mail-in ballots in cases where the supplementary affidavits are not completed.

According to data from Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, NBC reports that 2.2 million individuals in the state have had their mail ballot applications accepted. As of now, approximately 82% of these ballots have been returned, while there are still 390,000 ballots outstanding. In the event of any issues with their mail-in ballots, voters are allowed to cast a provisional ballot in person on Election Day.