Pa. Secretary of State reminds the public that candidates don’t certify elections, she does

Pa. Secretary of State reminds the public that candidates don’t certify elections, she does

By Tyler Pratt

November 3, 2020

Please be patient: We most likely won’t know the results of the Nov. 3 election in Pa. and across the country for several days. Find out more about how WLVR News will cover election night and after.

At last count, nearly 2.5 million mail-in ballots have been cast in Pennsylvania, and county election officials weren’t able to start counting them until this morning.

Which as WLVR’s Tyler Pratt reports, has raised questions about what could happen if a presidential candidate declares himself a winner before the numbers are in. 

Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar says there is no basis in Pennsylvania or federal law for a candidate to call a race until she certifies the state election.

“That would be so unsubstantiated in every way shape or form were somebody to declare victory when a fraction of the ballots are counted,” said Boockvar.

Ballots that were put in the mail on time have until Friday to reach election offices. And Boockvar is reminding the public that overseas and military votes are not due until a week after Election Day.

“Unless you want to wholesale disenfranchise the men and women serving our country, there is never an election that is over on election night or even the days following. It takes time to make sure every valid voter’s ballots are counted.”

Boockvar says an accurate count is more important than a quick one, and her office is doing everything it can to make sure it gets it right in this historic election. 

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