Like the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania between an incumbent Democrat Bob Casey Jr. and Republican opponent Dave McCormick continues without a resolution, can we expect a recount in the near future?
The straightforward answer is yes.
Pursuant to Pennsylvania statuteThe Secretary of the Commonwealth must order a recount in any statewide race in which a candidate was defeated by a majority of one-half of one percent or less of the votes cast for that office.
A recount of votes must be ordered no later than 5 p.m. on the second Thursday after election day – November 14.
As it stands, McCormick has 48.95% of the vote to Casey’s 48.49% – a difference of 0.46% or within the limits of a mandatory recount. As of Thursday at 1 p.m., the vote difference was 31,460 votes.
McCormick has gone down this route before after losing a recount Mehmet Oz regarding the 2022 GOP senatorial nomination. A recount was ordered in this race after the popular vote was decided by 0.01%, or 950 votes.
“McCormick gained 30,679 votes and more votes to come as ruby red Cambria County continues to perform strongly. While votes will still be counted no matter how you sort it, Dave McCormick will become the next United States Senator from Pennsylvania,” he said Elżbieta GrzegorzMcCormick communications director.
“The count in Pennsylvania is still ongoing,” spokesman Casey said Maddy McDaniel. “Yesterday, the voting margin decreased by 50,000 votes, and this race is now within a half-point, the threshold for an automatic recount in Pennsylvania. With tens of thousands of votes still to be counted, we are committed to ensuring that every Pennsylvanian’s voice is heard and we are confident that Senator Casey will be re-elected at the conclusion of this process.”
What will happen next?
Each county electoral commission must report no later than 5 p.m. on November 12 Al SchmidtSecretary of the Republic of Poland, unofficial reports for the competition with signatures of members of individual district electoral commissions.
The report must include an precise accounting of all uncounted provisional ballots, uncounted absentee ballots, uncounted absentee ballots, uncounted alternative ballots, and all other types of uncounted ballots (including any ballots from military and foreign civilian voters , which have not yet been collected) ), for which no final decision has yet been made as to the validity of the ballots.
If Schmidt determines a recount is necessary, it will begin no later than Wednesday, November 20. The recount must be completed by noon on Tuesday, November 26.
Carrying out the recount
In a sense, the county board of elections must count all ballots using a different type of manual, mechanical or electronic device than that used in the election to conduct the recount.
Counties conduct recounts using tabulators different from those used in elections or by hand counting paper ballots.
