Chester County Takes Measures to Prepare for Influx of Mail-In Ballots for Upcoming Election

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Image of workers installing equipment for processing mail-in ballots at the Pennsylvania Convention Center via Alejandro Alvarez, Philadelphia Inquirer.

After a 2019 law that allows every Pennsylvania resident to vote by mail, Chester County is now preparing for the influx of mail-in ballots during the November election by purchasing new equipment and adding more people to help count the ballots, writes Jonathan Lai for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The primary election in June was a preview of what might occur in November, as coronavirus-related fears over in-person voting prompted a massive surge in mail-in ballots. This was significantly beyond what was expected.

At the time, Chester County had two high-speed scanners ready. Now, it has spent around $116,000 to purchase a third to avoid a long, drawn-out process for counting votes.

Meanwhile, county officials learned another lesson from the delays during the primary election.

“If we threw more people at the problem, we could do this faster,” said Chester County administrator Bobby Kagel.

As a result, the county has put out a call to government workers to help with ballot counting for election week. It is anticipated that the county will have around 200 people working across three eight-hour shifts.

Read more about Chester County’s preparations for the November election in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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