Polls have closed, and results could take days. Department of State urges patience while counties tally unofficial totals

Polls have closed in Pennsylvania, and while it’s going to take some time for counties to tally the votes, the Department of State’s election night returns website will provide up-to-the-minute results.

Pennsylvania election laws prohibit counties from pre-canvassing ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day, meaning they can’t start counting mail-in and absentee ballots until then. According to Department of State data, more than 1.4 million Pennsylvania voters requested a mail ballot.

“As a result, we must again ask for patience,” acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman said in a statement. “Election workers must be given a reasonable amount of time to do their jobs thoroughly. Unofficial results will be available within a few days of the election, and it’s critically important for everyone to understand that this delay does not mean anything nefarious is happening. An accurate count of all eligible votes is paramount, and it cannot be rushed.”

The Department of State’s election returns website will not include the Act 88 county reports, which require the 63 counties that accepted election integrity grants to indicate how many mail ballots they received for the election by 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 9.