A lot of the polling places in Dauphin County saw very few voters during the primary. The County's director of elections and voter registrations Jerry Feaser say, it is likely because they've already received a record breaking 32,000 mail-in ballots. It's the first election Pennsylvanians can vote by no-excuse mail in ballot.
"This is going to be a very interesting night or two or weeks to come until votes are finalized," said Feaser.
In Dauphin County, they so far have received about 32,000 mail-in ballots. To put that number into perspective, the highest number of mail in ballots the county had ever received was in the 2004 presidential election with 7,000 mail-in ballots. Feaser says, this will cause a delay in election results.
"We can't begin to start opening those and counting those until we look at the poll books to make sure the voters who applied for these absentees didn't go and vote at the polls," said Feaser.
The governor also extended the time the post office has to deliver mail-in ballots in Dauphin County to June 9th at 5 p.m. Although nothing changes for voters. They still have to drop off their mail-in ballots at their county election office or Post Office by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Feaser says, this adds another layer of uncertainty to the Dauphin County elections office.
"With the governor's extension I have no idea what to expect, so we issue just over 40,250 mail-in ballots," said Feaser. "We're sitting here waiting or another 8,000."
Feaser says, moving forward his office will continue to look into ways to improve for the presidential election in November but, also urges the Pennsylvania General Assembly to change the deadline for voters to request mail-in ballots. He says, having the deadline just one week before the election is not realistic.
"We told the general assembly that, as election directors, they need to move back the date for deadlines because they were not giving election offices and the post office enough time to transmit these ballots by the mail," said Feaser. "But, we aren't listened to."