Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) stated on Sunday that if Florida can deliver voting results on election night, there’s no reason this standard cannot be met in every state, including Pennsylvania.
“Florida elections have millions more votes cast than in PA elections, yet we count the votes and report the results on election night — and do so in an efficient and transparent manner,” DeSantis wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “There is no reason why this cannot be done in every state in America.”
DeSantis’ comments came in response to an announcement from the Pennsylvania Department of State, indicating that the results of the upcoming election might not be available on election night. The Department explained that “Pennsylvanians won’t always know the final results of all races on election night. Any changes in results that occur as counties continue to count ballots are not evidence that an election is ‘rigged.’” The post also linked to a website aimed at fact-checking election-related claims in the state.
The announcement brought back memories of the 2020 election when initial results in Pennsylvania seemed to favor then-President Donald Trump. However, as mail-in ballots were counted in the following days, Joe Biden was eventually declared the winner in the state. This prolonged counting process has been a point of frustration for critics who argue that election results should be finalized and released promptly.
The Pennsylvania legislature has yet to implement measures to speed up the counting process by allowing the pre-canvassing of mail-in ballots, as reported by The Washington Post. The state remains a crucial battleground in presidential elections, and a delay in determining the winner could mean a prolonged wait if the electoral outcome hinges on Pennsylvania.
“If the electoral college comes down to Pennsylvania or Wisconsin, we might still face a long period where we don’t know the winner,” said Rachel Orey, an elections expert with the Bipartisan Policy Center.
While Trump was leading against President Joe Biden in earlier polls, recent match-ups with Vice President Kamala Harris, now leading the Democratic ticket, show the race is much closer. A Trafalgar poll recently had Trump ahead by two points against Harris, while The New York Times/Siena poll showed Harris leading Trump by four points.