When does pa start counting mail in ballots

In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots are counted on Election Day, which is typically the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. However, the counting process begins earlier, with several steps involved:

  1. Mail-in ballot receipt: Mail-in ballots are accepted by the county election office starting 50 days before Election Day. In Pennsylvania, this typically falls on a Monday in late September or early October.
  2. Pre-canvassing: County election officials begin pre-canvassing mail-in ballots about 10-14 days before Election Day. During this process, they verify the signatures on the ballots, check for any issues, and separate the ballots into batches.
  3. Canvassing: On Election Day, county election officials begin canvassing the mail-in ballots. This involves opening the envelopes, removing the ballots, and feeding them into scanners or tabulators.
  4. Scanning and tabulation: The ballots are then scanned and tabulated using electronic voting systems. This process typically takes several hours to complete, depending on the volume of mail-in ballots.
  5. Certification: Once the counting is complete, the county election officials certify the results and report them to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots are counted in the following order:

  1. Absentee ballots: These are ballots cast in person at the county election office or a designated location.
  2. Mail-in ballots: These are ballots received by mail.
  3. Provisional ballots: These are ballots cast in person on Election Day, but the voter's eligibility is in question.

It's worth noting that Pennsylvania law requires mail-in ballots to be received by the county election office by 8:00 PM on Election Day to be counted. If a ballot is received after this time, it will not be counted.