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This is what happens in many elections. The problem is mail in ballots, which were significantly more this year. When do you start processing them? In many s

This is what happens in many elections. The problem is mail in ballots, which were significantly more this year. When do you start processing them? In many states, the answer is: before election day. In other states, notably PA, the law says "day of election". The legislature there deliberately did not take any action to change this. Why?

pintxo 6y ago
Personally, mail in ballets should not be touched before the end of the election period and be counted together with the in-person votes. But given the ability to count them as they are received it should be rather easy to provide enough vote counting resources for a speedy counting on election day.
- ryanobjc 6y ago
  Why? Why not do the pre-canvass prior to election day? What's wrong with verifying eligibility, via whatever legally mandated process, then holding the ballots. Or pre-tabulating them? The latter is what San Francisco does. The mail in ballots are verified, and put into a tabulating machine specifically for the precinct. It holds the cards securely in a locked bin, and on election night, preliminary results can be pulled off the tabulation machine and combined with the in-person votes. I am an elections clerk in San Francisco, and familiar with the processes. I say this is secure, and easy to verify and re-verify and saves a ton of effort on election day. Where is your evidence that what you suggest is more secure, or important for... some reason? I don't think you realize that during election day, the ballot cards are 'counted' (tabulated) during the day, all day. The scanning machine on site is tabulating the cards, then at the end of the day it's a simple matter of pulling the final tally after the last vote, both via paper print out and electronic media (CF cards). There is no "end of day counting" - just closing procedures, and clean up.
InitialLastName 6y ago
Cynically, PA's (Republican-controlled) legislature have a vested interest in doing everything they can to make vote-by-mail as arduous and sketchy as possible. Disenfranchising voters in Philadelphia and its suburbs is the only way they stay in control of the state. We're literally seeing a race right now between the vote counters trying to finish the count and the leader of the Republican party suing to stop the count and invalidate as many mail-in votes as he can (because he knows they are likely to be overwhelmingly for his opponent).

pintxo 6y ago

Personally, mail in ballets should not be touched before the end of the election period and be counted together with the in-person votes. But given the ability to count them as they are received it should be rather easy to provide enough vote counting resources for a speedy counting on election day.

ryanobjc 6y ago
Why? Why not do the pre-canvass prior to election day? What's wrong with verifying eligibility, via whatever legally mandated process, then holding the ballots. Or pre-tabulating them? The latter is what San Francisco does. The mail in ballots are verified, and put into a tabulating machine specifically for the precinct. It holds the cards securely in a locked bin, and on election night, preliminary results can be pulled off the tabulation machine and combined with the in-person votes. I am an elections clerk in San Francisco, and familiar with the processes. I say this is secure, and easy to verify and re-verify and saves a ton of effort on election day. Where is your evidence that what you suggest is more secure, or important for... some reason? I don't think you realize that during election day, the ballot cards are 'counted' (tabulated) during the day, all day. The scanning machine on site is tabulating the cards, then at the end of the day it's a simple matter of pulling the final tally after the last vote, both via paper print out and electronic media (CF cards). There is no "end of day counting" - just closing procedures, and clean up.

InitialLastName 6y ago

Cynically, PA's (Republican-controlled) legislature have a vested interest in doing everything they can to make vote-by-mail as arduous and sketchy as possible. Disenfranchising voters in Philadelphia and its suburbs is the only way they stay in control of the state. We're literally seeing a race right now between the vote counters trying to finish the count and the leader of the Republican party suing to stop the count and invalidate as many mail-in votes as he can (because he knows they are likely to be overwhelmingly for his opponent).