Election experts advise PA senators to initiate pre-canvassing

Feb. 16—HARRISBURG — Bipartisan policy experts advocated during a Senate committee hearing Tuesday that Pennsylvania lawmakers establish a pre-canvassing period that would allow election workers at least three days ahead of an election to prepare mail-in ballots for the formal count.

The lack of a pre-canvassing period before polls open causes delays in processing and counting votes now that mail-in ballots are available to any registered elector.

This most infamously occurred during the 2020 presidential election when a record 2.6 million mail-in ballots were returned. Local election officials warned months ahead that there would be backups in counting votes. The counts lasted days in many counties, allowing false claims of voter fraud to build.

"Extended periods are ripe for the spread of misinformation and disinformation, as we saw in 2020 when former President (Donald) Trump declared he won the state long before sufficient results were in. This long window was not only predictable but also avoidable," said Matthew Weil, director of the Elections Project of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) in Washington, D.C.

The BPC was founded in 2007 by four former U.S. Senate majority leaders — Democrats Tom Daschle and George Mitchell and Republicans Robert Dole and Howard Baker.

Weil told committee members seven days or longer would be best for pre-canvassing. However, he supports the three days suggested in Senate Bill 878, introduced last September by state Sen. David Argall, R-Berks/Schuylkill, and state Sen. Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia.

Under the proposal, which mirrors the BPC's recommendation, no one observing, attending or participating in the pre-canvassing would be permitted to reveal an unofficial vote tally.

The bill offered by Argall and Street provides some give and take with respect to desires by both parties. It would establish a tracking system for voters to monitor the status of their mail-in ballot. It also calls for training for poll workers. Election security measures include live-streaming the pre-canvassing and counting of the ballots, 24/7 video surveillance of drop boxes, scheduled updates to purge deceased voters from the rolls.

The bill would end permanent mail-in ballot registration, meaning voters would have to request such ballots at each election.

Christopher Thomas, former state director of elections in Michigan, testified that ballots should be scanned and secured. Simply opening ballots and unfolding them isn't efficient or secure, he said.

The Michigan legislature allowed election officials there a 10-hour pre-canvassing period ahead of the 2020 general election. He said it helped.

"Seven days are desired but if three days are what is offered, election officials should take it," Thomas said.

Rachel Orey, senior policy analyst with BPC, spoke to how pre-canvassing would require funding and labor. She encouraged committee members to explore a shift in election funding. And, Orey said that while the premise of a pending bill that would end third-party funding for elections is admirable, the state must be prepared to financially support local elections operations.

"Should we prohibit them from just accepting the grants?" Street asked during the hearing.

"State and federal government need to step up with more funding," Weil replied, to which Street agreed but expressed caution about the availability of more money.