HARRISBURG (KDKA) — Pa. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said Friday that recounts or recanvasses will not be ordered in any of the statewide Nov. 3 general election races based on unofficial returns and margins of victory.
This includes the races for President of the United States, Attorney General, Auditor General, and State Treasurer.
In a press release, the Pa. Department of State said that Secretary Boockvar determined that she will not be ordering recounts or recanvasses based on the unofficial returns submitted by all counties. This decision comes as no statewide candidate was defeated by 0.5% or less of the votes cast.
Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s state Senate voted Thursday to select the chamber’s first female majority leader and promote their majority leader of the past six years.
Third-term Sen. Kim Ward of Westmoreland County will replace Sen. Jake Corman as majority leader. Ward, who has chaired committees that handle transportation and gambling issues, was first elected in 2008.
Corman, the chamber’s Republican majority leader since 2015, will fill the empty post of president pro tempore when the Legislature’s new session starts in January. Republicans will return with at least the same size majority, 29-21, and possibly larger, depending on the outcome of one undecided contest.Corman, who has represented the State College area in the Senate since 1999, will replace the outgoing Joe Scarnati, who did not run for reelection.Senate Democrats plan to select a new leadership team next week.The outcome of one Senate race remains in doubt in western Pennsylvania, where second-term incumbent Democrat Jim Brewster is neck-and-neck with Republican Nicole Ziccarelli in a district that straddles Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.In the House of Representatives, minority Democrats were voting Thursday to replace their floor leader, Frank Dermody, of Allegheny County, who conceded his reelection bid earlier this week.House Republicans on Tuesday reelected their leadership team of House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, and Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre.Republicans there were expected to pad their 110 to 93 majority with a couple pickups in close contests.
Everything voters need to know. Democracy Works has all the information you need to register and vote.
Election Day
Election Day is almost here! If you have any difficulties voting, you should first ask a poll worker or your local election official for help. We have provided additional resources below to help you vote, no matter what.
Get to the polls can help you find your polling place if you aren’t sure where to vote in person.
The Election Protection Hotline is a great resource if you experience any issues while voting. Remember: It is a federal crime to pressure, threaten, or otherwise intimidate voters at the polls!
English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
The ACLU’s Voting Rights Guide explains accommodations your polling place needs to make if English is not your primary language.
You have to register to vote before Election Day in Pennsylvania. You can find the deadline to register to vote in the “Dates and deadlines” section.
To register in Pennsylvania you must:
be a citizen of the United States at least one month before the next election
be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district at least 30 days before the election
be at least 18 years of age on the day of the next election
You may also register if you:
are a pretrial detainee, confined in a penal institution awaiting trial on charges of a felony or a misdemeanor
got released or will get released by the date of the next election from a correctional facility or halfway house (this must be upon completion of the term of incarceration for conviction of a misdemeanor or a felony)
are on probation or released on parole
are under house arrest (home confinement)
*find more information on voting rights restoration here
Vote in person
Due to COVID-19, in-person services may have limited availability. Contact yourlocal election officeto confirm. See CDC guidance on safe in-person voting.
Vote on Election Day
Voters registered in Pennsylvania can look up where to vote on Pennsylvania’s site.
Vote early
Pennsylvania voters can also vote before Election Day through a process called absentee in-person voting. The period for absentee in-person voting runs from Monday, September 14, 2020 to Tuesday, October 27, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.
What to bring
If you’ve voted at your polling place before, you don’t need to show ID to vote.
If you’re a first-time voter, or if you moved within Pennsylvania and are voting for the first time at a new polling place, you must show ID to vote. Acceptable forms include: Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card; ID issued by Pennsylvania or the US government; US passport; US military ID; student ID; employee ID; a confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration Office; non-photo ID issued by Pennsylvania or the US government; firearm permit; or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or a government check that includes your name and address.
Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote a provisional ballot.
Vote by mail
Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application. You can also request a ballot online. We encourage you to request and return ballots as early as possible.
Fill out the application completely.
Submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.
Your ballot must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 3, 2020 and received no later than Friday, November 6, 2020 by 5:00 p.m. You may also return your ballot in person by Tuesday, November 3, 2020 by 8:00 p.m. You can find ballot tracking information here.
The whereabouts of an untold number of ballots in Pennsylvania’s Butler County that were slated for delivery to would-be voters in next week’s election remain unaccounted for, the county’s director of elections said Thursday.
(CNN)The whereabouts of an untold number of ballots in Pennsylvania’s Butler County that were slated for delivery to would-be voters in next week’s election remain unaccounted for, the county’s director of elections said Thursday.
Postal officials say they are unaware of any issues, but the director, Aaron Sheasley, said the county has received in excess of 10,000 phone calls seeking information about ballots that were requested but not received, and that some callers have called multiple times.
This election is inescapable in Pennsylvania. On billboards, posters, on television, spray-painted on the sidewalks and walls, and every time you open up a webpage, the volume of political advertisements are overwhelming. But it isn’t presidential candidates that are taking up the space. Instead, the ads are more often instructions for voters on how to cast their ballot safely and securely in this most unusual of election years. It’s as if democracy itself is on the ballot here. In many ways, it is.
Nearly 2.5 million people are expected to vote by mail.
Pennsylvania, which is emerging as one of the most critical battleground states in the November election, could see a record-number of voters cast their ballots this year.
“We think that our total voter registration may be at an all-time high,” Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said during a press conference this week.
About 8,908,777 people have registered to vote, Boockvar said, including 4,175,532 Democrats and 3,459,627 Republicans. About 875,191 had no affiliation or identified as independents, and 398,427 identified as other.
Nearly 2.5 million people are expected to vote by mail, according to Boockvar, who noted that this was the total amount of mail-in and absentee ballots that were expected to be approved.
