Voter Services Readies For Big Chester Co. Mail-In Vote Count

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Voter Services in Chester County is preparing to tally 150,000 mail-in votes this November — adding at least five voter services staff, and is ready to hire temporary staff as needed.

Becky Brain, Public Information Officer for Chester County Commissioners Office, said while they don't know exactly how many mail-in ballots to expect for the November election,"we anticipate the number to be significant, perhaps even up to 150,000 mail-in and absentee ballots."

The elevated numbers are due to the pandemic, coupled with a new law passed that allows Pennsylvania residents to vote by mail without providing a reason.

At Chester County’s most recent Salary Board meeting, five staff positions were approved for the Department of Voter Services. Brain said provision has been made to employ "a significant number of temporary staff who will be trained specifically for the counting process."

The number of temporary hires will be determined closer to the election, based on the number of mail-in ballots received, said Brain.

"In 2016, nearly 275,000 ballots were cast in Chester County, with a 77.5 percent voter turnout, and with a small percentage of those being absentee ballots," Brain said.

On July 31, the Pennsylvania Department of State announced funding for mail-in ballot postage.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar is encouraging Pennsylvanians to use the mail-in option. "Mail-in or absentee voting with prepaid postage means Pennsylvanians can vote from the comfort of their own home, without having to make a trip to the post office to buy a stamp, during the COVID-19 pandemic," she said.

The Department of State is working with individual counties to identify the easiest way to implement pre-paid postage for November's election. Options possible are reimbursed metered postage, funding Business Reply Mail, or reimbursement for stamps.

Chester County Democrats alone anticipate 100,000 mail-in ballots just from Chester County Democrats. Democrat voter registration in May 2020 passed 150,000, according Dick Bingham, Chester County Democratic Party Chair.

Bingham explained the numbers his party expects to see vote by mail: "Our estimate would be that we'll get about 80 percent voter turnout between both mail-in ballots and in-person in November 2020. I estimate 80 percent of that 80 percent turnout will be voting by mail-in ballot. So, at that voter turnout, and that percentage of mail-in ballots, we should see close to 100,000 mail-in ballots just from Chester County Democrats."

There are 148,000 registered Republicans in Chester County. The Republican Committee of Chester County did not respond to requests seeking comment on mail-in ballots.

Brain explained Chester County Voter Services has reviewed the process for counting mail-in and absentee ballots and will follow a similar process in November 2020 to that set up for the primary election. "We are noting ways in which there can be both technological and logistical improvements, some of which are within Chester County’s control, and some that are not within our control," she said.

She added, "We continue to explore options available to us to increase the rate of counting mail-in ballots accurately, including hiring and training more permanent and temporary staff."

Brain said Chester County did not experience any substantial issues in tallying votes for the June primary. The County received more than 70,000 mail-in and absentee ballots for the June primary election. The majority were received via mail, Brain reported, but said some were returned in person at one of six secure drop-off sites established throughout the county.

How long might it take to count the ballots? Brain said, "This is a very difficult question to answer this early in the process as there are so many variable factors right now."

But Brain said Chester County is investing in equipment and reviewing processes to most efficiently and accurately register and respond to mail-in and absentee ballot requests, and to then count the mail-in and absentee ballots received.

She said, "We regularly meet with our state legislators to update them on what Chester County is doing to address and meet these challenges, and, importantly, discuss with them how PA election reform could alleviate many of the issues presented by the high expected level of mail-in ballots that Chester County will receive for the November election."

Bingham said he was not completely surprised by the registration surge. Well before that, in 2016, when Republicans had a 20,ooo voter registration advantage, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton still won in Chester County by 25,000 votes.

For the first time in Chester County history, there are more Democrats registered to vote in Chesco than there are Republicans. In May, the Republican advantage of 20,ooo registered voters flipped, according to Bingham. The flip happened just before this spring's primary election, amid polling place pandemic-related shutdowns.

Bingham also pointed out that there are 63,000 in Chester County registered to vote but not affiliated with a political party. "My guess is those will go heavily to mail-in ballots," said Bingham.

The Democratic committee here favors mail-in voting because "it's safe, it's easy and it's secure," Bingham said.

Coming out of the spring primary, 37,000 registered Democrats here have already requested their November ballot. "That means we're 1/3 of the way there, to that estimate of 100,000 mail-in Democrat voters," he said.

Under Act 77, election reform made law in 2019, voters had to a check box on the mail-in ballot request form that included request for both primary and general elections. That is another reason Bingham is confident that his assessment of mail-in numbers is accurate.

Bingham said that generally, "Republicans use mail-in voting much less." He noted that going into the last primary, for every Republican mail-in ballot in Chester County, 2.5 Democrats sent mail-in ballots. He added, "And, the requests for the general election continue to show that ratio."

Bingham said counting mail-in ballots is "a pretty labor intensive process." He explained there is a "Secrecy Envelope." This means for every ballot, there are two envelopes to open. He explained, "Someone must remove the ballot, then flatten it out to put it through the scanner. All those steps take quite a bit of effort."

Who's opening all those double envelopes? Chester County Voter Service has prepared, with its approved new hires. Bingham remarked, "Chester County Voter Services did a very good job in the primary, in sort of a test run with mail-in ballots."

A big concern among Democrats is that those opting for mail-in voting return their ballots in plenty of time to allow for the count. "We're emphasizing everyone needs to get their ballot back by Oct. 20, even though law gives them until Oct. 27 to even apply for a mail in ballot."

He said that apply for a mail-in ballot on Oct. 27 would not leave enough time to get the ballot and then return it. "There's no way," he said. "So, we're trying to communicate they need to get it in mail by Oct. 20 just to be safe." Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. the night of the election.

Ballots can be submitted in the county drop boxes, he said. "People should be aware that by law there must be at least one drop box in every county somewhere secure and guarded so people can deliver their ballot." Chester County has drop boxes at six locations, according to the Voter Services office.

Drop-off locations may be drive-through, said Bingham, but he noted voters must drop off only their own ballot. "You can't deliver other people's ballots, even a married a couple cannot deliver each other's."

Bingham said the Democratic Party here is working hard to keep communication strong. "We don't know what the pandemic will be doing in November. So, it's best, safer, to vote by mail."

To register to vote, or to begin the registration process to vote by mail, go here.