November 01, 2020
Courtesy of/Governor Tom Wolf/Flickr
Ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive after the polls close on Tuesday night, but before 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 will be segregated and counted separately, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar took to the Sunday shows to make one final request to commonwealth voters to get their mail-in and absentee ballots submitted as soon as possible for the upcoming election.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Philly native and host Jake Tapper, Wolf encouraged Pennsylvania residents to block out the noise surrounding mail-in voting when it comes to handing in their ballots on time this week.
“The message to Pennsylvanians is if you’re voting by mail, if you’re voting with an absentee ballot, get it in by election night,” Wolf said.
Ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive after the polls close on Tuesday night, but before 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 will be segregated and counted separately, Wolf said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf: "The Supreme Court has given Pennsylvania three days to allow ballots to come in after Election Day but the message to Pennsylvanians, is if you're voting by mail — if you're voting with an absentee ballot, get it in by election night" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/l7FrUGsbuY
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 1, 2020
Appearing on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” with host Chuck Todd, Boockvar also encouraged Pennsylvania residents to “ignore the lawsuits” and “ignore the hype.”
“Just get your ballots in today,” Boockvar implored commonwealth residents. “The best way you can make sure that your ballot will be counted is to get it in by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.”
Roughly 2.4 million mail-in ballots have already been submitted in Pennsylvania, Boockvar said.
WATCH: Pennsylvania Sec. of State says postmarked ballots which are turned in after 8PM on Election Day "will be segregated but they will be counted." #MTP @KathyBoockvar: "The idea is not to wait. That they should be canvassing them as soon as the 8PM time frame passes." pic.twitter.com/IptklRVyEB
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 1, 2020
Ballots must be postmarked by no later than this Tuesday in order to be counted for the election. They can be mailed using the U.S. Postal Service or deposited in an official ballot-collection drop box. Voters can submit their ballot either via the mail, by dropping it off at their county board of elections office, or at an official ballot dropbox.
At this time, given how close Election Day is, people should strongly consider visiting a satellite election office to ensure timely delivery and return of their ballots. At these satellite locations, a registered voter can request a mail-in ballot, have it printed, vote and then submit the completed ballot – all in one location.
Locally, there are satellite election offices in Philadelphia, Delaware County, Chester County, Montgomery County and Bucks County.
For those who are not voting by mail, in-person is still taking place on Election Day, Nov. 3
Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes could decide the presidential election. A FiveThirtyEight analysis found Pennsylvania may be the country's most important swing state. If President Donald Trump wins Pennsylvania, he has an 84% chance of being re-elected. If former Vice President Joe Biden is victorious, he has a 96% chance of winning the presidency.
Polling indicates that the race for Pennsylvania could be close. The Democratic presidential nominee currently leads the Republican incumbent by an average of four points in the state, according to Real Clear Politics.
Trump won Pennsylvania by less than 1% over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, becoming the first GOP presidential candidate to win the state since George H.W. Bush in 1988.
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