The Chester County Board of Elections is currently spearheading an inquiry into an Election Day glitch that excluded tens of thousands of third-party registered voters from the official poll books. In a commitment to transparency, officials have outlined a schedule for the investigative process to follow, after the mishap occurred on the morning of November 4.
According to details shared in a news release by the County, the error impacted 75,076 of the 385,856 registered voters in Chester County, which includes independents and those with affiliations outside the major parties. Despite the misstep, provisional ballots were furnished to affected voters. Chester County CEO David Byerman stated, "As of today, we identified the key questions that must be addressed through the investigation and presented the Board of Elections with several options for how the review can best proceed."
Byerman also mentioned that preliminary discussions have taken place with the Pennsylvania Department of State and that all relevant materials for the investigation have been ordered to be preserved by the staff. The process of pinpointing qualified independent firms or experts to carry out the review is also underway. The investigation’s commencement is set to follow the completion of vote counting, ensuring the probe does not interfere with the certification of the election.
The timeline includes the selection announcement of the independent body responsible for the investigation, due on November 17, and a progress briefing at the next Board of Elections meeting on November 21. As Byerman explained, "The formal investigation will begin once all votes have been counted to ensure that the process does not interfere with the certification of the election." The conclusion of the investigation and the presentation of its findings and recommendations are anticipated for either December 2025 or January 2026, in a public session adjusted to the evening to maximize community involvement.
After polls opened on Election Day, county officials recognized the mistake, and Judges of Elections were instructed to issue provisional ballots. Additionally, a court-approved extension of voting hours was announced in an effort to accommodate potential delays. The county has committed to daily updates on the provisional ballot review process, which began on November 11 and is proceeding on a rolling basis. Over 4,300 of the approximate 12,100 provisional ballots had been legally examined by the evening of Sunday, November 9.
