Pennsylvania officials said the voting process has been strengthened for the 2024 elections.
SMETHPORT, Pa. — Pennsylvania could be a key state to watch in this year's presidential election, as election officials there work to ensure there are no issues at polling places, including in neighboring counties.
Neighboring Pennsylvania is set to once again be the scene of a hotly contested battle for the state's 19 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, with the latest polls showing former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden separated by just 2 percentage points.
Trump won the state over Hillary Clinton in 2016 on his way to the White House, but his reelection hopes were thwarted in 2020 when Keystone State voters cast their ballots for Biden, a Scranton native.
With both men campaigning heavily in the state again, the state's voting process will be in the spotlight. Issues of election integrity and security will be discussed on Sunday's NBC show “Meet the Press.” Pennsylvania's elections chief spoke out against the voting systems in counties including McKean and Potter.
“How do you inspire voters to have confidence in the results of this year's election?” asked NBC News host and moderator Christine Welker.
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt, a Republican, responded: “Pennsylvania's elections have changed significantly over the years, but for the better. Paper ballots allow voters to verify their voting record, making our elections safer and more secure than ever before. These records are used in not one but two audits after every election to ensure the count is accurate.”
Schmidt added, “Pennsylvania has 67 counties and election administration is delegated to the county level. That's where the votes are cast. That's where the initial certification and other work happens. So we've been working closely with the counties to improve the processing of mail-in ballots.”
The issue of election worker safety has also been addressed by the state government, led by Governor Josh Shapiro in Harrisburg. “The Shapiro Administration has created an election threat task force made up of various agencies that are responsible for election administration, various agencies that also have law enforcement responsibilities, working together, so that if one of those ugly events that we all experienced in 2020 were to happen again, everyone knows who is playing what role,” Schmidt explained.