Experience, better tech helped Pa. count mail ballots faster this year than in 2020 | Pennsylvania News [Video]

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Mail ballots in Pennsylvania were counted much faster in this year’s election than in 2020.

By 3 a.m. Wednesday, 54 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties had counted 90% or more of their mail ballots, according to data released by the state. By roughly 5 p.m., 97% of the state’s mail ballots had been counted.

In 2020, mail ballot counting went on for several days, preventing media organizations from declaring a presidential winner until the Saturday after the election. That year, voters returned roughly 700,000 more mail ballots than in 2024. In the years since 2020, counties have grown more experienced with handling large volumes of mail ballots, and have purchased better, faster equipment, which in combination has enabled counties to process ballots more efficiently.

That combination “has a big impact,” said …