It’s a scandal that we even have to say this, because it’s so incredibly obvious: Pennsylvania election workers should be able to open and tabulate mail-in ballots before Election Day.
And they could, if Republicans in the state Senate would let a bill passed by the House come to a vote. Republicans claim, without ever really explaining how, that counting votes early raises the likelihood of tampering. America may suffer for their inaction.
Amid all the lies told during and about the 2020 presidential election, there was one truth that triggered millions of suspicions: Pennsylvania’s vote tally did slowly flip from favoring Donald Trump to favoring Joe Biden over the course of multiple days after the election. While Mr. Biden’s Electoral College vote margin would have survived losing Pennsylvania, the painstakingly slow counting of mail-in ballots seemingly gave credence to concerns about the “integrity” of American elections, which Donald Trump and his allies exploited.
Pre-canvassing — letting election workers start counting mailed votes days before Election Day — is neither unusual nor controversial. It was the practice in 27 states in 2020, and now 43 going into this election year. That includes red states, blue states and purple states. Of the main battleground states, only Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ban the practice, setting up a potentially long and destabilizing election week.
Counting votes before election day is as safe as counting them on the day itself, and after it. Worried Republicans should check in with their colleagues in red states like Montana and Utah — unless they suspect elections are being stolen in Billings and Provo as well.
Liberating election workers to get a head start on counting has no affect whatsoever on the final tally. If someone who voted by mail shows up at the precinct, they will be turned away, just as they would have been if the envelope had been processed at 8 a.m. on Election Day. The benefits to public trust in ensuring the quick tabulation of votes far outweigh the costs.
To its credit, Allegheny County has substantially improved its mail-ballot processing since its first go-around with full mail voting in 2020. In last year’s county elections, for instance, the Elections Division canvassed ballots so quickly it dumped mail-in results before in-person results. This led to the opposite effect from 2020: an early advantage for Democrats that Republicans chipped away at over the course of the evening.
Which is so much better than over the course of the week.
But it is a problem elsewhere in the state, and that is a danger to America, to our shared trust in our elections and therefore agreement on who is elected. Other counties with fewer resources and more votes may struggle. And Philadelphia County remains a worrying trouble spot, where there are likely to be massive Democratic margins that trickle in for hours and days.
If Republicans were serious about enhancing public trust in elections, they would approve pre-canvassing to avoid a repeat of 2020.
Correction: A previous version of this editorial misstated how voters who attempt to vote in-person after having submitted a mail ballot are handled. They are not permitted to vote in person.
First Published: July 31, 2024, 9:30 a.m.
