HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania’s holding a hybrid election — with options for mail-in and in-person voting. But the logistics under a state shutdown are unprecedented. For instance, already nearly 1 million residents have applied for mail-in ballots — and with many more expected, Governor Tom Wolf is urging residents to sign up now to avoid bottlenecks.
“I strongly encourage Pennsylvanians considering voting by mail to apply as soon as possible,” said Wolf.
Mailing ballots in time for the election is just one part of the challenge — they also have to be counted on election night after the polls close.
Another issue is safety and staffing for in-person voting, as many poll workers are seniors at heightened risk from COVID-19. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar says the national guard may be called in to help out.
“Any guardsman or woman serving as a poll worker would be serving in plain clothes,” said Boockvar.
Even the locations for some polling sites are unknown, given that many sites are shut down. Bookvar says the state can mandate schools to reopen on election day, but doesn’t have that authority over private facilities.