County elections officials have mixed reactions to the legislation, which creates grants but doesn't allow counties to get the jump on counting mail ballots — an ongoing priority.
The election funding legislation wouldn’t allow that. But it would require counties that accept the funding to begin counting ballots at 7 a.m. and “continue without interruption” until the count is complete.
County election officials generally echoed that, though some worried their counties might decrease the county’s share of the funds, offsetting the money. The $45 million total is about $5.15 per registered voter. The largest counties would be eligible for millions of dollars: Philadelphia’s 1.05 million voters in the May 2022 primary would give it about $5.4 million, Allegheny County would be eligible for $4.75 million, and Montgomery County could receive up to $3.08 million.
Requiring counties to wait until Election Day increases costs by forcing them to hire and train more staff, and obtain the best equipment possible, to get votes counted quickly. And even then, as the world saw in November 2020, the count takes time. And that delays the election results. “We’re still avoiding the 800-pound gorilla in the room, and that is pre-canvassing,” said Jim Allen, elections director for Delaware County. “We’re still ignoring how so many other states start this process before 7 a.m. on Election Day — days in advance of Election Day.”
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