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PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; A federal appeals court in Philadelphia on Friday rejected an effort led by a Republican congressional candidate to block about 9,300 ballots that arrived after Election Day. 
				The three-judge panel, led by Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Brooks Smith, noted the &ldquo;unprecedented challenges&rdquo; facing the nation this year, especially the &ldquo;vast disruption&rdquo; caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
				Smith said the panel ruled &ldquo;with commitment to a proposition indisputable in our democratic process: that the lawfully cast vote of every citizen must count.&rdquo;
				The ruling involves the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision to accept mail-in ballots that arrived by Friday, Nov. 6, three days after the close of polling places.
				Republicans have the same issue pending on appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.
				Separately, a national law firm that came under criticism for its work for the Trump campaign has asked a judge to let it withdraw from representing the campaign in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent Pennsylvania officials from certifying election results.
				Legal giant Porter Wright Morris & Arthur filed the motion Thursday, leaving Philadelphia election lawyer Linda A. Kerns as the remaining attorney for the campaign and two voters in the lawsuit.
				Porter Wright&rsquo;s role in the matter had drawn criticism, and the firm took down its Twitter feed Tuesday after it was inundated with attacks.

Federal court rejects effort to block late-arriving ballots