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Unofficial results in U.S. Senate race trigger automatic recount

Senator Bob Casey and Dave McCormick have vote totals within the one-half of 1% margin that triggers a mandatory recount under state law.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Secretary of Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced Wednesday that unofficial results in the Nov. 5 general election race for U.S. Senate have triggered a legally required statewide recount. 

Senator Bob Casey and Dave McCormick have vote totals within the one-half of 1% margin that triggers a mandatory recount under state law.

As of now, the unofficial returns for the U.S. Senate race submitted by all 67 counties show the following results for the two candidates: 

  • Robert P. Casey Jr. – 3,350,972 (48.50%)
  • David H. McCormick – 3,380,310 (48.93%)

Once counties finish counting their ballots, they must begin the recount no later than Wednesday, Nov. 20 and must complete the recount by noon on Nov. 26. The counties must then report results to the Secretary by noon on Nov. 27. 

Results of the recount will reportedly not be published until Nov. 27. 

The Department estimates that the recount will cost more than $1 million in taxpayer funds. 

This is the eighth time the automatic recount provision has been triggered since the passage of Act 97 of 2004. 

In the four cases in which the recount was carried out, the initial results of the election were affirmed. Those recounts and the costs for each were as follows:

  • 2022 primary: Oz vs. McCormick, Republican race for U.S. Senate, $1,052,609  
  • 2021 general: Dumas vs. Crompton, Commonwealth Court, $1,117,180
  • 2011 primary: Boockvar vs. Ernsberger, Democratic race for Commonwealth Court, $525,006.70
  • 2009 general: Lazarus vs. Colville vs. Smith, Superior Court race, $541,698.56

As of Wednesday afternoon, county election officials reported there are 60,366 uncounted provisional ballots and 20,155 uncounted mail-in and absentee ballots. That 80,521 total includes all ballots for which county boards of elections have not yet made a final resolution regarding their validity or eligibility to be counted.

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