U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has directed Pennsylvania officials to respond to a suit seeking to block the state's election results on Tuesday, rather than Wednesday as originally directed.

At first glance, one day may seem like an insignificant difference. But as The Inquirer reported, the new deadline falls on the same day as the “safe harbor date” — which effectively shuts the door on challenges — and gives the court a few hours to act if it so chooses.

Republican lawmakers including House Speaker Bryan Cutler, meanwhile, sent a letter to the state's congressional delegation Friday asking them to reject electors for Democrat Joe Biden, Spotlight PA reported.

THE CONTEXT: Pennsylvania certified Biden as the winner in late November, which in most years would have been routine and uneventful.

But 2020 is not most years. In the courts and legislature, some Republicans have alleged without evidence that there was widespread voter fraud designed to steal ballots from President Donald Trump. Others have objected to the election process, particularly actions taken by Gov. Tom Wolf's administration.

That was the stated basis for the Friday letter, in which the GOP contends guidance from the Department of State on "cured" ballots, as well as rulings from the Democrat-controlled state Supreme Court, undermined the election.

While observers don't expect these challenges to prevail, they may ultimately benefit the Republicans behind them. Sen. Doug Mastriano, who tested positive for COVID-19 after holding a largely maskless hearing on unsubstantiated claims of fraud, has boosted his public profile ahead of an expected run for governor.

“Whether it be understanding where to sign [or] what type of ink to use, all that stuff takes a certain level of comprehension. And in Pennsylvania, where the smallest thing could discredit a ballot, there’s a lot of concern there.”

— Marcus Hall, an instructor at the Community Learning Center, on how Philadelphians overcome literacy struggles to vote