PA Prepares Multi-Agency Task Force To Respond To Election Unrest

PENNSYLVANIA — A multi-agency task force comprised of emergency responders from both the state and federal level is organized to respond to any unrest surrounding the historic and tumultuous 2020 election in Pennsylvania, officials said on Thursday afternoon.

Preparations for the 2020 election and the formation of this response team have been in the works for years, Gov. Wolf said. Dubbed the preparedness and security work group, it meets regularly to review rumors, ongoing protests, and other potential security concerns and events that could serve as "triggers."

"Everyone's aligned to make sure we're prepared to react and to defuse the tensions we know are going to be present," Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said in a news conference Thursday. The ongoing unrest in Philadelphia is among the events being closely watched, as Gov. Wolf issued an emergency declaration Wednesday.

The group is made up of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania State Police, the National Guard, U.S. Homeland Security, the FBI, a cybersecurity team, and more.

Pennsylvania is a key swing state in the presidential election, and there are concerns that the 2020 vote count could send the state in chaos, lawsuits, and civil unrest.

"On Tuesday night and the day that follows, I encourage all of us to take a deep breath, and just stay calm," Gov. Wolf said. "We will have a fair election."

Final results "probably" won't be known in Pennsylvania on Election Night, Wolf said. It will likely be within a few days, as county elections offices work overtime to count the record 3.02 million mail-in ballots requested amid the coronavirus pandemic. Though 2.1 million of those ballots have already been received, the state has extended the deadline to receive mail-in ballots to Friday, Nov. 6, which is three days after the election.

The sheer mass of mail-in ballots, the ruling on when they can be counted, and the issue of "naked ballots" — ballots mailed without a security envelope, rendering them null and void — could all contribute to the chaos. Another issue which was raised by officials Thursday: certain counties in Pennsylvania claim they will not start counting ballots until Wednesday, even though the state is urging counties to begin the "pre-canvassing" process of preparing ballots to be counted as early as is legally allowed, which is 7 a.m. Tuesday.

The state is working with those counties, which include Cumberland, Franklin, and Juniata, and two others, to get them to begin their count earlier. These counties claim they lack the resources to begin their count Tuesday.

"The good news is that it's only a few counties," Boockvar said. "I want every one of them starting on Election Day."

While votes can't be counted until the polls close at 8 p.m., all of the pre-canvassing work, which includes everything but actually printing out the tape with the results on it, can begin at 7 a.m.

The multi-agency task force is also working directly with local law enforcement, county elections offices, and county commissioners to ensure general security and accurate ballot counting.

The good news? The fact that roughly 3 million Pennsylvanians have chosen to vote by mail means that lines "probably" will be much shorter on Election Day, Wolf added, as there will be fewer people going to the polls.

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