Pennsylvania could be counting absentee ballots until Friday

Joe Biden has accused President Trump of being 'terrified' of what will happen in the state

Nov 4, 2020

Republican legislature in Pennsylvania, a crucial presidential battleground, refused to allow counties to begin processing absentee ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day.

The controversial move is sure to cause chaotic delays, reporting inconsistencies, and legal challenges, ABC News reports. The state isn’t expected to have every vote counted until Friday, at the earliest.

“We’re already trying to run a successful in-person election on Election Day,” said Lisa Schaefer, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. “Trying to add processing of mail-in ballots on Election Day basically means we’re trying to run two elections at the same time.”

Will Donald Trump repeat his Pennsylvania victory from four years ago or will Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden bag the 20 electoral votes in his home state? Time will soon tell.

“What’s most important is that we have accurate results and that every vote is counted, even if that takes a little longer,” Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf said an hour after polls closed. “So I’m urging Pennsylvania to just remain calm, be patient, stay united on election night and in the days ahead.”

theGRIO previously reported, during a campaign stomp in Pennsylvania on Sunday, Biden said Trump is “terrified” of the possible election results.

According to the New York Post, Pennsylvania proves to be one of the most pivotal battleground states in the presidential election. Biden urged his supporters to vote during a drive-in rally in a Philadelphia church parking lot.

“President Trump is terrified of what will happen in Pennsylvania,” Biden said. “He knows if you have your say, he doesn’t stand a chance.”

Biden also warned of GOP efforts to “suppress” voter turnout while addressing how Trump gained Pennsylvania in the 2016 election by nearly 44,000 votes.

“Every day — every day — is a new reminder of how high the stakes are, of how far the other side will go to try to suppress the turnout, especially here in Philadelphia,” Biden said.

Meanwhile, two federal lawsuits filed by Republican lawmakers aim to prevent absentee votes that arrive after polls close Tuesday from being counted, PBS reports.

At least eight Pennsylvania counties won’t start processing ballots until Wednesday morning: Beaver, Cumberland, Franklin, Greene, Juniata, Mercer, Monroe, and Montour. Trump won these counties in 2016, except for Monroe.

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