Nov 4, 2024 By Mike Jones 5 min read

Pennsylvania became the epicenter of the political world in 2020 with the Keystone State being key to President Joe Biden’s electoral victory over former president Donald Trump.

Four years later, not much has changed politically as another contentious presidential election draws near and once again puts the national spotlight on the commonwealth that could ultimately decide whether Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris will serve as the country’s next president.

Elections offices across the state and in Southwestern Pennsylvania have been swamped with people taking advantage of the “on demand” mail-in ballot option that serves as early voting ahead of Tuesday’s election. While the number of mail-in ballots requested across the state are down – nearly 2.2 million this year compared to more than 3.1 million four years ago amid the COVID-19 pandemic – elections officials here are wondering whether it will have any effect on turnout at the polls.

“I don’t know,” Fayette County Elections Director Mary Beth Kuznik said. “There’s been a huge demand for in-person (on demand) voting; maybe it’ll just mean we’re going to have a huge turnout in general. People are excited. They’re fired up on both sides. I’m glad to see voters engaged. That’s good to see.”

Greene County Elections Director Joe Lemley saw a similar rush for the “on demand” mail-in ballots that put a strain on his office’s small staff as they vetted each voter’s registration through the state’s database before issuing a ballot. Last Tuesday was the final day to use that option or request a mail-in ballot.

“It was building up,” Lemley said. “The crescendo, you could feel it building up (last) Friday and Monday going into Tuesday.”

Reached for comment Friday morning to discuss how elections preparations were going, Washington County Elections Director Melanie Ostrander directed all media inquiries to county spokesman Patrick Geho.

“Surprisingly, hundreds of voters chose to vote in person during the timeframe from 10/7 to 10/29 at the Elections Department,” Geho said in an email response to several questions. “We have set aside those ballots and will be able to tabulate them soon. The notable wait times in line for voters demonstrated their strong interest and commitment in this election.”

However, Geho said Washington County’s elections officials thought the “on demand” option would have minimal impact on turnout at the polls because they expected around 78% turnout, with 115,000 people in the county casting ballots through mail-in or at their precincts. Of the more than 33,000 mail-in ballots utilized for this election, 2,468 people used the “on demand” option.

Geho said Commissioner Nick Sherman, who heads both the county’s board of commissioners and elections board, said they expect a robust turnout, so elections officials are preaching patience on Tuesday.

“This election is crucial, and we encourage voters to stay patient, as some polling locations may have long lines,” Sherman said in a written statement included in Geho’s email. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the nearly 1,000 dedicated poll workers for their unwavering commitment to facilitating a seamless voting experience for all.”

The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday, and both Kuznik and Lemley also asked people to remain patient in what is expected to be a long day for both voters and poll workers. Only first-time voters at a new precinct must show identification, which could include a driver’s license or utility bills with their name and current address printed on them.

“Just be patient,” Kuznik said. “Turnout is going to be big. Everyone is going to go as fast as they can, but we want to make sure everyone is checked in correctly. Hang in there, because your vote is important.”

“We just want everyone to be patient,” Lemley said. “So many people are upset about this election, we can tell. If you have any issues, call our election office and we’ll help them.”

Time is waning for people to return their mail-in ballots, which must arrive at the county’s elections office no later than 8 p.m. or they will not be counted, according to election law. Elections officials said it’s likely too late to send the ballot through the mail, so people should personally turn them in at the office if they want to ensure that it will get there in time. All mail-in ballots must be signed and correctly dated, and voters must turn in their own ballot.

Unlike in the April primary when numerous ballots were rejected for missing signatures, missing dates or incorrect dates, elections officials in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties said they’ve noticed only a handful of issues this election. Fayette and Greene allow for ballot curing measures, while all counties across Pennsylvania – including Washington County – are under a court order to let people vote with a provisional ballot at their precinct if there is an issue with their mail-in ballot.

“We have a really small amount of ballots with disqualifying errors,” Kuznik said. “Fewer than in the spring.”

“The disqualified ballots have been set aside and have not yet been counted,” Geho added about Washington County. “The process of notifying voters by phone has gone smoothly, thanks to the efforts of the election staff.”

Lemley said in order to keep the Election Day lines moving at the polling places, Greene County workers are setting up an area at every precinct to handle someone who may need a provisional ballot.

“With so many people voting by mail, that thought process has to go through their mind,” Lemley said. “How to triage, how to keep things moving, how to control energy in that room if we’re in a (bigger) precinct.”

People can go to vote.pa.gov to confirm their voter registration status, locate their polling place or check the status of their mail-in ballot.