Delay In Sending Out Pa. Ballots

September 14, 2020 4:18 am

PITTSBURGH — In the latest sign of the chaos overshadowing the 2020 election, none of Pennsylvania’s counties will be able to send out ballots to voters Monday, the first day the critical battleground state allows counties to do so.  Due to a slew of lawsuits and other issues, the commonwealth, which has drawn intense interest from Democrats and Republicans after June’s disastrous primary, has not finalized its ballot less than eight weeks before Election Day.  The state’s Democratic Party remains in court battling to keep the Green Party off the ballot. The pending legal dispute has led to a delay in certification of the November ballot, and as a result, all Pennsylvania county election officials who this year could have started offering absentee or mail-in ballots, as well as in-person early absentee voting, starting September 14 are in a holding pattern.  Pennsylvania, which President Donald Trump won by less than 1 point in 2016, is just one example of a critical swing state that has come under enhanced scrutiny for elections laws that could further confuse and delay results on Election Day  “I’m concerned right now, only because once we do receive state certification, there are quite a few steps that you have to do,” Debbie Olivieri, Berks County Director of Elections, told CNN. The county, which includes Reading, remains a battleground. “You can’t just real quick turn it over and have everything ready. It’s going to take some time to do those other steps.”