Pennsylvania was a pivotal state within the 2020 presidential election, sealing Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump after 4 days of vote counting. So it is no shock the Keystone State is once more entrance and middle this election cycle, with each Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump investing time and assets there forward of Election Day.
Up to now few weeks, the presidential candidates have been regulars in Pennsylvania, usually joined on the marketing campaign path by celebrities and fellow politicians. They’ve made some memorable pit stops — from Harris snapping selfies at Well-known 4th Avenue Deli to Trump donning an apron throughout a marketing campaign occasion at a McDonald’s in Bucks County, which Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro calls the “swingiest of all swing counties within the swingiest of all swing states.” Trump additionally returned to Butler for a rally on the identical fairgrounds the place he survived an assassination try in July.
CBS Information’ Battleground Tracker exhibits an successfully tied race in Pennsylvania per week earlier than Election Day. The state is a part of the Democrats’ “blue wall” together with Michigan and Wisconsin, thought-about essential for the get together’s path to the White Home.
Here is what it’s essential know forward of Election Day:
Pennsylvania Election Day quick details
- Polls open: 7 a.m. ET
- Polls shut: 8 p.m. ET
- Mail-in poll deadline: 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024
- The place to vote: Lookup your polling place right here
- Electoral votes: 19
- Voter turnout: 76% of registered voters solid ballots in 2020, authorities information exhibits
Pennsylvania vote-counting guidelines
Each state has its personal guidelines in relation to vote counting. In Pennsylvania, state regulation requires county election employees to attend till polls open on Election Day (7 a.m. ET) to begin processing — eradicating ballots from envelopes — and counting mail-in ballots.
Pennsylvania counties can also’t start to document or launch mail-in poll outcomes till after the polls shut at 8 p.m. ET. Which means there will probably be a lag in saying the ultimate tallies and, in flip, projecting the state’s winner. How lengthy of a delay, nonetheless, is unclear.
Pennsylvania’s Electoral Faculty votes
Pennsylvania has 19 electoral votes, making it an necessary prize within the presidential race. The state had 20 electoral votes within the 2020 race however misplaced one within the congressional redistricting that adopted the 2020 Census.
When will we all know who gained Pennsylvania?
In 2020, Mr. Biden was named the projected winner of Pennsylvania late morning on Saturday, Nov. 7 — the fourth day of vote counting — after taking an insurmountable lead within the state. Profitable the state’s then-20 electoral votes helped him high the 270 wanted to win the presidency.
But it surely’s laborious to attract any conclusions from 2020 when extra voters opted for mail-in voting for the primary time because of the ongoing unfold of COVID-19. It was the primary yr Pennsylvania allowed no-excuse mail-in voting, resulting in a document 2.6 million mail-in ballots. In 2020, 38% of Pennsylvanians voted both early or by mail, in comparison with 4% in 2016, in accordance with CBS Information’ information.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Courtroom additionally dominated in 2020 that mail-in ballots could not be rejected over signature mismatches.
Kathy Boockvar, former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, advised CBS Information that 2024 will possible look completely different since election officers have had 4 extra years of apply, purchased new gear and have a greater concept of how a lot staffing they’re going to want.
“No person is aware of on election night time who wins or loses. What we hope to do is rely the ballots securely, precisely, after which after that as rapidly as humanly potential,” Boockvar mentioned.
In 2020, about 54% of whole votes solid had been reported by 12 a.m. ET after Election Day, in accordance with the Related Press. The “overwhelming majority of ballots” had been counted by Thursday night time into Friday morning in 2020, in accordance with Boockvar.
Boockvar estimates this yr, given the entire classes discovered from 2020 and enhancements made to the counting system, that almost all of ballots will probably be counted by the tip of Wednesday as a substitute of Thursday, which can assist velocity up the method of projecting a winner.
Nonetheless, if the race is shut, then that will delay issues additional. Pennsylvania has an automated recount if the margin in any statewide race is 0.5% votes or much less. The state additionally permits shedding candidates to file a request for a machine recount in the event that they pay for it. A refund could also be out there relying on the findings.
May Latino voters in Pennsylvania determine the election?
With a purpose to safe a Pennsylvania victory, each Harris and Trump could have to win over Latino voters. There are practically 580,000 eligible Latino voters in Pennsylvania, in accordance with the UCLA Latino Coverage & Politics Institute’s newest information. Pennsylvania’s share of eligible Latino voters has greater than doubled since 2000, the information exhibits.
Roughly about half of the Latino inhabitants lives within the middle a part of the state referred to as the “222 Hall” — a stretch of small cities together with Studying, Allentown, Lancaster and Bethlehem, the place the presidential candidates and their operating mates have visited regularly.
A latest ballot from the Hispanic Federation and Latino Victory Basis discovered that 66% of Latino respondents mentioned they’d vote this yr in Pennsylvania.
Who gained Pennsylvania in previous presidential elections?
Pennsylvania has voted for the presidential winner courting again to 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president. Here is a have a look at who has claimed the state over time:
- 2020: Democrat Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump
- 2016: Republican Donald Trump defeats Hillary Clinton
- 2012: Democrat Barack Obama defeats Mitt Romney
- 2008: Democrat Barack Obama defeats John McCain
- 2004: Democrat John Kerry defeats George W. Bush
- 2000: Democrat Al Gore defeats George W. Bush
