The ongoing Senate recount in Pennsylvania is anticipated to surpass $1 million in expenses as Republicans aim to prevent three Democratic-leaning counties from tallying ballots against the apparent wishes of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, a Philadelphia Republican appointed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, revealed that automatic recounts are triggered if the unofficial margin is within 0.5%. The race between GOP Sen.-elect David McCormick and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr. is separated by 0.43%, with a maximum of 80,000 provisional and mail-in ballots yet to be counted.
In a recent press call, McCormick's representatives analyzed raw data and concluded that there is no viable path for Casey to overtake their candidate, regardless of a recount. The last automatic recount in Pennsylvania, between McCormick and cardiothoracic surgeon Mehmet Oz, cost taxpayers $1.053 million and led to Oz advancing to the general election against John Fetterman.
About 7 million ballots will be subject to recount in Casey's case, with counties required to report their data to Schmidt by Nov. 27. The trailing candidate in three of the state's previous eight automatic recounts opted out of the process, while Pennsylvania's top legislative Republican criticized Casey for not waiving the recount, deeming it unnecessary and duplicative.
McCormick's campaign raised concerns about certain counties' intentions to count undated or misdated ballots, which Republicans argue goes against a recent ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The Republican National Committee filed an emergency petition urging the court to reaffirm its decision. Meanwhile, the Casey campaign emphasized the importance of ensuring all Pennsylvanians' voices are heard and accused McCormick of attempting to disenfranchise voters and spread misinformation.
Legal battles have ensued, with the Pennsylvania GOP suing Centre County over its ballot-counting decisions. Philadelphia and Bucks counties have also faced scrutiny for their ballot-counting processes, with ongoing litigation and disputes over the validity of certain ballots. The situation remains fluid as various parties navigate the complexities of the recount process and legal challenges.
