Nov 29, 2023 By Mark Hofmann 2 min read

The Fayette County Election Board certified November’s general election this week.

Marybeth Kuznik, director of the election bureau, said the results were certified on Nov. 27, and there were no changes to any of the races.

“It went very smooth, everything added up and everything matched,” Kuznik said, adding that the county also performed the required 2% audit on the results with no issues. “It was a good election.”

One change felt across Pennsylvania came from an opinion issued last week by U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter which directed each of the state’s 67 counties to count mail-in ballots with missing or incorrect dates on the return envelopes, so long as they were received by the Election Day deadline.

In her 77-page opinion, Baxter wrote that the date requirements on the return envelopes violate the provision of the federal Civil Rights Act, which prohibits restrictions on ballot access.

Kuznik said there were about 30 of those ballots in Fayette County. Counting them did not impact the final outcome of any races.

She noted the general election saw a voter turnout of 38.2%, which she said is a high percentage for a municipal election.

“I thank the voters and all those who came out that day,” Kuznik said. “These local elections are very important.”