Monday, February 17, 2025, 9:50PM |  23°
MENU
Advertisement
Despite issues elsewhere in the state, Allegheny County’s election was relatively smooth and efficient.
1
MORE

While Pennsylvania saw some issues, Allegheny County's ballot counting went smoothly

Lucy Schaly/Post-Gazette

While Pennsylvania saw some issues, Allegheny County's ballot counting went smoothly

All mail-in ballots have been counted locally; military, overseas, and provisionals still to be processed

Voters experienced bomb threats, voting machine malfunctions and long lines at a number of polling places in Pennsylvania on Tuesday — but Allegheny County’s election was relatively smooth and efficient: The counting warehouse on the North Shore was abuzz with activity and without disruption.

Throughout Tuesday, more than 200 county workers processed mail-in ballots with the help of a machine that opens up to 50,000 envelopes an hour and scanners that process roughly 280 ballots a minute. They worked at long tables in a large room at the warehouse, opening envelopes and eventually feeding each ballot into a scanner to be tabulated.

Throughout the day, county workers were allowed to leave as ballots were processed. They had completed what election administrators have called the “mundane work” of running elections.

Advertisement

As of Wednesday, the results of all of the county’s mail-in ballots — nearly 227,500 — were posted to the county’s election results page, according to county officials. Election officials will meet at the warehouse Friday to process military, overseas and provisional ballots.

Deborah Benston with Olive Branch 4 U speaks as groups of local religious leaders from various faiths gather together the day after the election to talk about how to move communities after the outcome of the election at Phipps Conservatory in Oakland on Wednesday Nov 6, 2024. (Justin Guido/for the Post-Gazette)
Laura Esposito
After the election, religious leaders try to bridge a political divide

County officials said Tuesday morning that 3,788 overseas ballots had been sent and 2,165 had been returned so far; 521 military ballots were sent and 268 returned. The deadline for the county to receive those is Nov. 12. County elections staff estimate that 12,680 provisional ballots were cast.

It’s likely that many hundreds of ballots also remain uncounted from nine precincts in the county. Election officials were still working to gain access to the facilities where ballot machines were stored and locked after the polls closed on Election Day. They aim to release unofficial results from eight of them  Thursday.

About mid-day Tuesday, County Executive Sara Innamorato stopped by the warehouse to observe activities and walked around the tables where pre-canvassing of mail-in ballots was occurring, witnessing democracy in action.

Advertisement

On Wednesday, Ms. Innamorato thanked those workers for their efforts. She also thanked the elections staffers, who worked long hours processing mail-in ballots, running satellite election offices and ballot return sites, and preparing for Election Day.

“County employees processed and tabulated 220,000 mail-in ballots in record time yesterday,” the county executive said in a statement. “Alongside our staff were nearly 7,000 poll workers who helped ensure our neighbors – nearly 500,000 of them - were able to vote securely and without interference in person yesterday. At almost 75% turnout, it was a robust election and I just have to express my gratitude to staff, volunteers, and voters who participated in the process.”

David Becker, founder and executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research in Washington, D.C., told reporters that having enough funding for staff and state-of-the-art equipment was important to run elections efficiently, as Allegheny County did on Tuesday.

But there is also “administrative efficiency” to consider, Mr. Becker said.

The Red Wave was in full force when Sen. JD Vance, Republican Vice Presidential Candidate, spoke to supporters at the Pennsylvanian Downtown on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.
Jonathan D. Salant, Hallie Lauer and Mike Wereschagin
Voters say inflation and economic concerns drove Trump win

“You need to have the right facilities,” he said. “You need to be able to train your staff. You need to be able to keep your staff on. That's been a challenge in the last four years, as election staff have been threatened and harassed. … And you need to be able to pay expert staff, particularly with technological skills, to be competitive in the marketplace.”

Allegheny County did deal with some minor disruptions Tuesday. In one instance, a judge ordered Moon Area High School – a polling location – to stop testing its fire alarms until all voting was completed. In a separate filing, a judge ordered signs that “falsely portray themselves as public notices from the Pennsylvania Department of State” to be removed from eight locations.

Police responded to an incident of voter intimidation at Roosevelt Elementary School in Carrick Tuesday night involving a middle-age man and two other individuals. The man directed racial slurs at Black voters, according to ​​the judge of elections.

Initially, roughly 30 mail-in ballots were challenged, including two by the county’s Republican Committee on residency grounds, said Sam DeMarco, the county’s GOP chairman and a member of the county’s Board of Elections. But he and Allan J. Opsitnick, an assistant solicitor for the county, said all those challenges had been resolved.

But other jurisdictions around the state were seeing challenges to overseas ballots. Colin Sisk, director of elections and chief registrar for Beaver County, said 125 overseas ballots had been challenged there, and the county board of elections will hold a hearing on them Friday afternoon.

Mr. Sisk said those ballots were challenged because of allegations that the voters were “indefinitely out of the country and they’re not registered to vote under Pennsylvania law.”

But he added that citizens have rights to at least vote in federal elections, an issue that will likely be litigated by attorneys at the hearing Friday.

After Donald Trump’s victory became clear in the early hours Wednesday, court activity ground to a halt. There are currently no outstanding or relevant election-related court cases in Pennsylvania, according to the state court system’s official website.

Mr. Becker told reporters that any challenges to ballots could face an uphill battle, especially since people have waited until after Election Day.

“I've been a broken record on this: the voter lists are public,” Mr. Becker said. “Both campaigns, both candidates, both parties have had them. They're constantly updated … if a candidate or party knew, or should have known, about a residency challenge and didn't do anything about it, they're going to have a really hard time post-election.”

First Published: November 6, 2024, 10:17 p.m.
Updated: November 7, 2024, 2:09 p.m.

RELATED
Former President and now president-elect Donald Trump gestures at supporters after speaking as he holds hands with former first lady Melania Trump during an election-night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., early Nov. 6, 2024.
Zeke Miller, Michelle L. Price, Will Weissert and Jill Colvin
With his Michigan victory, Trump sweeps the ‘blue wall’ in his White House comeback
As of Wednesday afternoon, fewer than 50,000 votes separate Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., from Republican challenger David McCormick.
Benjamin Kail
Tight U.S. Senate race may trigger automatic recount as David McCormick looks to oust Sen. Bob Casey
The dome on the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building is let up as dusk falls on Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, in Harrisburg.
Ford Turner
Contest for control of Pa. House remains close as vote-counting continues
Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to deliver her concession speech at Howard University in Washington on Wednesday.
Chris Megerian and Darlene Superville
In concession speech, Kamala Harris says nation must accept election results while urging supporters to keep fighting
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith watch a receivers and defensive backs drill at Steelers Minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex Thursday, June 13, 2024.
1
sports
Gerry Dulac: Next season’s major decisions loom this week for Mike Tomlin, Steelers staff
This image taken from video shows emergency crews responding at Toronto Pearson Airport after a plane crash on Monday.
2
news
At least 8 reported injured after Delta jet flips during landing at Toronto airport
The impacted workers include personnel hired for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, one air traffic controller told the Associated Press.
3
news
President Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal D.C. plane crash
The Federal Bureau of Investigation seal outside the headquarters in Washington, D.C.
4
opinion
Vanni Cappelli: The FBI purge could lead to another 9/11
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) catches a pass from quarterback Jake Browning for a first down with Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) defending during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023.
5
sports
Brian Batko's Steelers chat transcript: 02.17.25
Despite issues elsewhere in the state, Allegheny County’s election was relatively smooth and efficient.  (Lucy Schaly/Post-Gazette)
Lucy Schaly/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST news
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story