PA General Election Overview | Anticipations for Pennsylvania’s Upcoming Elections

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The forthcoming general election on Tuesday in Pennsylvania is set to determine the occupant of a critical seat on the state Supreme Court, which could potentially impact voting-related adjudications in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential elections.

Republican Carolyn Carluccio, the lead judge at the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, will face off against Democrat Daniel McCaffery, who currently serves as a judge on the state Superior Court. They are vying to fill the seat left vacant by the late Chief Justice Max Baer who passed away in 2022.

While the Court presently holds a 4-2 majority favoring the Democrats, the impending election will not alter this balance. However, the newly elected justice will play a pivotal role in breaking any ties in 3-3 decisions, particularly in voting-related disputes that may arise during the fervently contested 2024 presidential elections in Pennsylvania. Despite the Democratic lead, the court has experienced stalemates in previous voting cases.

Elections will also be conducted for positions on the state Superior and Commonwealth Courts.

In Allegheny County, which includes the city of Pittsburgh, the election for county executive will see Democrat Sara Innamorato, who has served as a state representative, running against Republican Joseph Rockey, previously an executive at PNC Financial Services.

Philadelphia’s mayoral race features Democrat Cherelle Parker competing against Republican David Oh.

Expectations for Election Night:

ELECTION TIMING

The polls are scheduled to close at 8 p.m. ET on the day of the general election in Pennsylvania.

ELECTORAL CONTENTS

Coverage will span eight electoral contests by The Big Big News, encompassing the state Supreme Court justice, one Commonwealth Court judge, two Superior Court judges, the mayor of Philadelphia, three Philadelphia City Council Districts, seven at-large Council seats, and the executive of Allegheny County.

ELECTORATE DETAILS

Pennsylvanians registered to vote within the districts where elections are taking place are eligible to vote this Tuesday. The cut-off for registration was October 23.

VOTE COUNTING AND DECLARATIONS

Typically, off-year elections observe a lower voter turnout, with the previous state Supreme Court election witnessing a turnout of about 32%.

Close electoral races, especially in local contexts, could be influenced significantly by a small margin of votes, potentially prolonging the process of declaring winners due to the counting of absentee, provisional, or other pending ballots.

The Associated Press does not predict outcomes but will only announce a winner when it has been ascertained that no remaining votes could alter the result. Until a race is called, the AP will report relevant updates such as candidate concessions or victory claims, clarifying that it has not officially declared a winner and providing the rationale.

An automatic recount is triggered in Pennsylvania for any statewide race where the victory margin is within or below 0.5 percentage points. The AP may announce a winner in a recount-eligible race if it deems the leading margin insurmountable by any recount or legal contest.

VOTER ENGAGEMENT AND EARLY VOTING

As of late October, Pennsylvania had 8.7 million actively registered voters, with a distribution of 45% Democrats, 40% Republicans, 4% from minor parties, and 11% with no party affiliation. The 2022 general election saw a 61% turnout among registered voters.

Prior to Election Day, 612,793 ballots had been submitted, with Democrats accounting for 73% and Republicans 20%.

In the prior year’s state Supreme Court election, nearly 2.8 million votes were cast, with 27% of those being early votes. The preceding general election in 2022 saw an early vote percentage of 23%.

TIMELINE FOR RESULTS TALLYING

During the general election of 2022, the initial results were reported by the AP at 8:02 p.m. ET, shortly after the closing of polls. By noon the following day, around 97% of all votes were accounted for.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Pennsylvania general election

More about Pennsylvania general election

• Pennsylvania Department of State – Voter Registration
• Pennsylvania Courts – Judicial Candidates
• Allegheny County Elections
• Philadelphia City Commissioners – Elections Information
• The Associated Press – Election Results Reporting