Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth, Al Schmidt, shed light on the issue surrounding the processing of received mail-in ballots before Election Day. In Pennsylvania, state law prohibits county election officials from commencing the processing of these ballots until 7 a.m. on election morning. This stands in contrast to many other states, both Republican and Democratic, that allow for the pre-processing of mail-in ballots days or even weeks in advance, resulting in earlier result announcements.
Secretary Schmidt highlighted that the delay in pre-processing mail-in ballots is a technical problem with a straightforward technical solution that has yet to be addressed since the 2020 election. Despite the apparent simplicity of the issue, the Pennsylvania legislature has not taken steps to rectify the situation, raising questions about the deliberate nature of the inaction.
When questioned about the potential motives behind the lack of action, Secretary Schmidt emphasized that mail-in ballot pre-processing has been included in various legislative proposals from both the Democratic House and Republican Senate. However, these proposals often come bundled with other election-related changes that fail to garner bipartisan support, leading to a stalemate.
Notably, the Democratic House recently passed a standalone pre-processing bill that could resolve the issue if taken up by the Republican Senate. The failure to address this critical aspect of the election process has left Pennsylvania vulnerable to delays in result reporting and has fueled concerns about the spread of disinformation and discord.
As the debate continues, the need for bipartisan cooperation to implement a solution that ensures timely and accurate election results remains paramount. The spotlight remains on Pennsylvania's election procedures, urging lawmakers to prioritize the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process.
