What to Know
- Pennsylvania voters are playing a crucial and perhaps decisive role in choosing the next president as Donald Trump and Joe Biden headline a statewide election in which millions of ballots have already been cast.
- Long lines formed at many polling places as voters also decided races for Congress, the General Assembly and a trio of statewide offices — attorney general, auditor general and treasurer.
- Polls opened Tuesday against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, a police shooting and unrest in Philadelphia, and the potential for a drawn-out legal fight over late-arriving mail-in ballots.
Citing a high level of interest in this election and seeing many people who lined up before polls even opened, Pennsylvania officials are expecting "healthy turnout," they told reporters Tuesday.
Voters lined up to cast their votes before polling places even opened in Philadelphia and the suburbs Tuesday morning. The long lines continued at some polling places for hours while thinning out in others.
“I heard this morning that some people were even lining up shortly after 6 a.m.,” Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said. “So the engagement was high since early this morning, which is great.”
The critical 2020 election is like none other in history due to a large influx of mail-in ballots already cast amid coronavirus. Voters who did flock to the polls were encouraged to remain 6 feet apart as they waited in line.
“We expect very healthy turnout given the intense interest in this election, and especially in Pennsylvania’s critical role in it,” Boockvar said.
Before polls opened at 7 a.m. there were lines of people outside the Kimmel Center in Center City Philadelphia and Whitemarsh Elementary School in Montgomery County. One voter in Whitemarsh was in line for more than an hour before getting inside to cast a vote. The line at the Kimmel Center had calmed down before 9 a.m. after a before-work rush.
The line at Whitemarsh Elementary School in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, looped around the parking lot as voters waited to cast votes in person on Election Day.
There were people lined up at other spots throughout the city, suburbs and Lehigh Valley. Lines were also reported in the Pittsburgh area. Pennsylvania wasn't exclusive in lines. There was also a line outside at least one New Castle County, Delaware, church.
The lines could be longer than normal due to masked people trying to keep distance from one another. If you plan on voting in person, dress warmly, bring a mask and leave yourself time.
Voters lined up outside St. Paul's Lutheran Church in New Hanover Township, Pennsylvania.
If you are in line to vote at a polling place when polls close at 8 p.m. in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, you can stay in line and will be allowed to cast your vote.
If you still have a mail-in ballot and want to drop it off, don’t put it in the mail. Take it to a dropbox as soon as you can; many close at 8 p.m., but some close earlier, depending on your county.
In Pennsylvania, dropboxes have to be closed at closing time, even if there is a line, so it's best to get it in as soon as you can, Boockvar said.
Also, your voted mail-in ballot cannot be submitted to a polling place in Pennsylvania. It must be dropped off at a dropbox or satellite office. If you bring your mail ballot to a polling place, it will have to be voided before you can vote by regular voting system.
While many have urged voters to vote by mail or to put their mail ballot into a dropbox, there are ways to vote in person safely despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
For starters, wear a mask and bring hand sanitizer. Pennsylvania leaders say you should make a voting kit that includes a mask, gloves, sanitizer and your own pen for signing the poll book or other forms. (In Philadelphia, voters will be provided a disposable glove.)
Due to slowdowns in the U.S. Postal Service, dropping off your ballot is the safest way to ensure your vote is counted. Depending on the state, elections officials may be able to count your mailed ballot if the postal service gets it to them after Election Day, but your ballot must have been postmarked on or before Election Day.
Election officials caution the winner might not be known for days as counties begin tabulating more than 2.4 million votes that arrived by mail.
Despite the millions of mail ballots already cast, it’s not clear if Americans will know the winner of the election on election night like many are used to. In a normal year, experts and journalists are typically able to call the winner of the presidential race by looking at exit polls and early returns. Not every state will have all its votes counted on election night, which is normal when there are mail ballots. Plus, some states are not allowed to, or are not planning to, count their mail ballots until on or after Election Day.
Anyone who encounters issues at the polls can call the NBC10 voter issue tip line at 215-201-5008 or email voter.issues@nbcuni.com.
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November 04, 2020 at 12:11AM
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Pa. Expects ‘Healthy Turnout' After Many Got In Lines Early to Vote - NBC 10 Philadelphia
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