The state Legislature should heed the call of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania for election law reforms.
Significantly, the association is calling for the “pre-canvassing” of mail-in ballots before 7 a.m. on Election Day. Pre-canvassing is the opening and preparing of ballots for counting in advance of Election Day.
On Election Day, county election officials are busy dealing with polling places and other matters, and it is impossible for them to organize the mail-in ballots throughout that day. That process cannot begin in earnest until the polls are closed.
During last fall’s election, with its record-breaking volume of mail-in ballots, the delays in counting enabled President Trump to lie about non-existent election fraud and make baseless claims that the election had been stolen. Trump’s lie fueled the Jan. 6 siege upon our Capitol.
While the counting of votes took days in many cases, the election went smoothly without evidence of fraud. No credible person agreed with Trump’s big lie that the election had been stolen.
Perhaps nothing could stop Trump’s big lie. Election results announced on Election Day or shortly thereafter, however, would have reduced the delay that enabled the seeds of mistrust to sprout and start to grow.
Don Walko
Ohio Township