Philadelphia Inquirer Visits Chester Co. for Mail-in Ballot Processing

Voting by mail is safe, secure and convenient.

That’s why more than 2 million mail-in ballots have been requested by Republican and Democratic voters for this election.

To give voters a behind-the-scenes look at the many checks and balances in place to safeguard the vote and ensure an accurate count, the Philadelphia Inquirer visited Chester County’s Department of Voter Services to detail the tried-and-tested systems used to process mail-in votes.

Check out the interactive feature HERE.

A recent episode of CBS News’ “60 Minutes” did a similar feature in Chester County to showcase the safeguards in place to ensure an accurate count.

Remember, ballots cast in-person are typically tabulated at precincts, with results made available when polls close. With mail-in ballots, however, the processing time can vary significantly, depending on staff, available equipment and volume of ballots. It is possible (and even likely) that the final tally of mail-in ballots is not finished on election night – and that’s OK. It’s about getting it right, not doing it fast. Learn more about the process HERE.