In Pennsylvania, an election recount is underway this week, but it has nothing to do with recent allegations of voter fraud or other election related problems.
In Centre County, precinct boxes from the county’s 91 precincts, with more than 34,000 ballots cast in this month’s general election, are now being recounted.
“We have to count every ballot that we receive,” says Centre County Commissioner Steve Dershem.
Its due to a state-mandated recount for a commonwealth court judge’s election, where there’s less than half a percentage point between the vote totals for two candidates.
“The way the rules of the road go for recounts, you can’t count the ballots on the same machine that was used the first time,” explained Dershem. “That makes it sort of problematic for us.”
Part of the problem is the high number of mail-in ballots in Centre County.
There’re close to 10,800 which were being recounted Thursday
“We’re unpacking them, laying them out here to relax a little bit to flatten out, and then they’ll be run through a da-850,” said Centre County Deputy Administrator John Franek Jr.
The ballot review specifically focuses on recounting the judge’s race votes only. It’s estimated the recount statewide will cost about $1.3 million.
