The U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania between Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick is heading for a statewide recount. The Associated Press had initially called the race for McCormick, but with a narrow margin between the candidates, a recount has been triggered under Pennsylvania law.
As of the latest count, McCormick leads by approximately 28,000 votes out of over 6.9 million ballots cast, falling within the 0.5% margin threshold for an automatic statewide recount. The recount process involves running paper ballots through high-speed scanners, with experts suggesting that the outcome may only change by a few hundred votes.
While McCormick is attending Senate orientation in Washington, Casey has not conceded and his campaign manager has accused McCormick and his supporters of attempting to disenfranchise Pennsylvania voters. Allegations have been made regarding challenges to provisional ballots, causing delays in the vote counting process.
Both campaigns have been actively involved in challenging provisional ballots, with claims of systematic challenges by Republicans and efforts to maintain McCormick's lead. The process has seen legal battles over the validity of certain ballots, including those lacking a correct handwritten date on the outer envelope.
Counties in Pennsylvania are currently processing tens of thousands of provisional ballots and addressing challenges from both campaigns. Litigation remains a possibility as decisions on the validity of certain ballots continue to be contested in court.
With the recount deadline approaching, the outcome of the Pennsylvania Senate race remains uncertain, with both candidates and their supporters closely monitoring the process.
