What is the Process of Ballot Counting and Updates to the Website?

The reports posted on this website are updated as new data becomes available. Ballot Counting is performed at the County Office Building in Montrose, PA. The first ballot box arrives around 8:30PM Election Night, and ballot counting starts soon after. Counting continues until the last ballot box is counted, usually around 11PM.

Ballots are counted a district at a time. When counting for a district is complete, the total count is saved and a district detail report is printed and handed to District Officials after a verbal verification of the district vote count is performed. At the same time, a large display is updated with the latest information and a copy is retained by the Election Office for the Election Return Board. After counting a few Districts a save of the count status is copied to a removable media and transferred to the website. The updates are not continuous because PA law prohibits any external communications connections to the vote counting equipment at any time.

The results posted throughout Election Night are unofficial. The Election does not have an official count until the County Election Return Board completes their work and certifies the Election. Historical results available on the county website are copies of the reports generated on election day through the above mentioned process and are unofficial unless otherwise noted.

The Susquehanna County Election Returns Board will meet on the Friday after the election. After being sworn in by the Prothonotary, the Return Board Performs many tasks when they meet including overall review of the reports and paperwork from the Districts, disposition of Provisional Ballots, review of all ballot counts, hand count of at least one randomly selected district, and more. Once the Return Board is done the Election Counts will be considered Certified, subject to State verification. More information can be found about the whole election process at the PA Department of State website www.votespa.com.