PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- About 73% of Pennsylvania’s nearly 3.1 requested mail-in ballots have already been returned. Pennsylvania's secretary of state is urging the other 27% to get their ballots back as soon as possible. And she updated security measures that will be in place on Election Day.
Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar says, in 2018, Pennsylvania set up an interagency work group on election security and preparedness. Her department was in touch on Election Day with district attorneys, the governor's Office of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and the administration's office of information technology to prepare for everything from a power outages to a cyber-attacks.
“Not only are we at the state level very integrated, making sure we’re planning response -- all that kind of stuff -- but that the counties are as well and that county-state communication is really strong.”
At polling places, anyone who is in line before 8 p.m. must be allowed to vote, but Boockvar says that is not the law for ballot-drop boxes. Ballot drop-boxes must be locked at 8 p.m. on Election Day, even if there’s a line to get to one. One more reason, she says, not to wait until the last minute and to return a ballot as soon as possible.
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Boockvar also says any poll watchers must comply with Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 guidelines, including mandatory face coverings. If a poll watcher refuses to wear a face covering, they’ll be kicked out, with the party or candidate given an opportunity to replace them.