As ballot counting resumes in Pennsylvania two days after Election Day, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt is urging Pennsylvanians to remain patient. In a statement posted online, Schmidt emphasized the importance of counting every legitimate vote in the election.
The ballots being counted include a variety of types, such as in-person ballots cast on Election Day, domestic mail-in ballots, military and overseas citizens mail-in ballots, as well as provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are those cast in-person at a polling place on Election Day when the voter's name is not found in the poll book for that precinct.
Schmidt explained that after every election, provisional ballots are carefully examined by county officials, with party observers present, to verify if the vote was cast by a registered voter. If the provisional ballot was indeed cast by a registered voter in the county, their vote will be counted for all statewide races and eligible local races.
This verification process is crucial to ensuring the integrity of the election results, but it also takes time. Schmidt emphasized that this process occurs after every election, regardless of how close the race may be.
As the ballot counting continues in Pennsylvania, Schmidt's message to the public is clear: patience is key. The meticulous process of verifying and counting each vote is essential to upholding the democratic principles of the election process.
