What to expect in "swingiest state" of Pennsylvania this election

Pennsylvania was a pivotal authorities successful nan 2020 statesmanlike election, sealing Joe Biden's victory complete Donald Trump aft 4 days of ballot counting. So it's nary astonishment nan Keystone State is again beforehand and halfway this predetermination cycle, pinch some Vice President Kamala Harris and erstwhile President Donald Trump investing clip and resources there up of Election Day.

In nan past fewer weeks, nan statesmanlike candidates person been regulars successful Pennsylvania, often joined connected nan run way by celebrities and chap politicians. They've made immoderate memorable pit stops — from Harris snapping selfies astatine Famous 4th Street Deli to Trump donning an apron during a campaign arena astatine a McDonald's successful Bucks County, which Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro calls nan "swingiest of each plaything counties successful nan swingiest of each plaything states." Trump besides returned to Butler for a rally astatine nan aforesaid fairgrounds wherever he survived an assassination effort successful July.

CBS News' Battleground Tracker shows an efficaciously tied title successful Pennsylvania a week earlier Election Day. The authorities is portion of nan Democrats' "blue wall" on pinch Michigan and Wisconsin, considered important for nan party's way to nan White House. 

Here's what you request to cognize up of Election Day:

Pennsylvania Election Day accelerated facts

• Polls open: 7 a.m. ET
• Polls close: 8 p.m. ET
• Mail-in ballot deadline: 8 p.m. ET connected Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024
• Where to vote: Look up your polling spot here
• Electoral votes: 19
• Voter turnout: 76% of registered voters formed ballots successful 2020, government information shows

Pennsylvania vote-counting rules

Every authorities has its ain rules erstwhile it comes to vote counting. In Pennsylvania, authorities rule requires region predetermination workers to hold until polls unfastened connected Election Day (7 a.m. ET) to commencement processing — removing ballots from envelopes — and counting mail-in ballots. 

Pennsylvania counties besides can't statesman to grounds aliases merchandise mail-in ballot results until aft nan polls adjacent astatine 8 p.m. ET. That intends location will beryllium a lag successful announcing nan last tallies and, successful turn, projecting nan state's winner. How agelong of a delay, however, is unclear.

Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes

Pennsylvania has 19 electoral votes, making it an important prize successful nan statesmanlike race. The authorities had 20 electoral votes successful nan 2020 title but mislaid 1 successful nan legislature redistricting that followed nan 2020 Census.

When will we cognize who won Pennsylvania?

In 2020, Mr. Biden was named nan projected victor of Pennsylvania precocious greeting connected Saturday, Nov. 7 — nan 4th time of ballot counting — aft taking an insurmountable lead successful nan state. Winning nan state's then-20 electoral votes helped him apical nan 270 needed to triumph nan presidency.

But it's difficult to tie immoderate conclusions from 2020 erstwhile more voters opted for mail-in voting for nan first clip owed to nan ongoing dispersed of COVID-19. It was nan first twelvemonth Pennsylvania allowed no-excuse mail-in voting, starring to a grounds 2.6 cardinal mail-in ballots. In 2020, 38% of Pennsylvanians voted either early aliases by mail, compared to 4% successful 2016, according to CBS News' records.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court besides ruled successful 2020 that mail-in ballots couldn't beryllium rejected complete signature mismatches.

Kathy Boockvar, erstwhile Secretary of nan Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, told CBS News that 2024 will apt look different since predetermination officials person had 4 much years of practice, bought caller instrumentality and person a amended thought of really overmuch staffing they'll need.

"Nobody knows connected predetermination nighttime who wins aliases loses. What we dream to do is count nan ballots securely, accurately, and past aft that arsenic quickly arsenic humanly possible," Boockvar said.

In 2020, astir 54% of full votes formed were reported by 12 a.m. ET aft Election Day, according to nan Associated Press. The "overwhelming mostly of ballots" were counted by Thursday nighttime into Friday greeting successful 2020, according to Boockvar.

Boockvar estimates this year, fixed each of nan lessons learned from 2020 and improvements made to nan counting system, that nan mostly of ballots will beryllium counted by nan extremity of Wednesday alternatively of Thursday, which whitethorn thief velocity up nan process of projecting a winner.

However, if nan title is close, past that whitethorn hold things further. Pennsylvania has an automatic recount if nan separator successful immoderate statewide title is 0.5% votes aliases less. The authorities besides allows losing candidates to record a petition for a instrumentality recount if they salary for it. A refund whitethorn beryllium disposable depending connected nan findings. 

Could Latino voters successful Pennsylvania determine nan election?

In bid to unafraid a Pennsylvania victory, some Harris and Trump whitethorn request to triumph complete Latino voters. There are astir 580,000 eligible Latino voters successful Pennsylvania, according to nan UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute's latest data. Pennsylvania's stock of eligible Latino voters has much than doubled since 2000, nan data shows.

Roughly astir half of nan Latino organization lives successful nan halfway portion of nan authorities called nan "222 Corridor" — a agelong of mini cities including Reading, Allentown, Lancaster and Bethlehem, wherever nan statesmanlike candidates and their moving mates person visited frequently.

A caller poll from nan Hispanic Federation and Latino Victory Foundation recovered that 66% of Latino respondents said they'd ballot this twelvemonth successful Pennsylvania.

Who won Pennsylvania successful past statesmanlike elections?

Pennsylvania has voted for nan statesmanlike victor making love backmost to 2008, erstwhile Barack Obama was elected president. Here's a look astatine who has claimed nan authorities complete nan years:

• 2020: Democrat Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump
• 2016: Republican Donald Trump defeats Hillary Clinton
• 2012: Democrat Barack Obama defeats Mitt Romney
• 2008: Democrat Barack Obama defeats John McCain
• 2004: Democrat John Kerry defeats George W. Bush
• 2000: Democrat Al Gore defeats George W. Bush

In:
• Pennsylvania
• Kamala Harris
• Donald Trump
• Pennsylvania Elections
• 2024 Elections