Montgomery County updates election numbers [updated]

NORRISTOWN — The first batch of Montgomery County’s results were released Tuesday night shortly after the polls closed at 8 p.m.

The Montgomery County Board of Elections convened after 8:30 p.m. in One Montgomery Plaza in downtown Norristown to address members of the media as tabulation efforts got underway. Results as of 10:30 p.m. revealed 39.67 percent of the vote had been counted, 251,057 votes tabulated out of a total 632,813 votes.

“Montgomery County is obviously being watched very closely. The election could well be decided here and in Pennsylvania,” said Montgomery County Election Board Chairman Neil Makhija.

The 2024 general election features key contests at the state and national levels, with the high profile presidential race between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former president Donald Trump at the top of the ballot.

Early results showed 248,989 votes in the presidential race, with Harris leading with 165,519 votes to Trump’s 81,047, according to Montgomery County’s unofficial election summary report. Green Party candidate Jill Stein followed with 1,321 votes and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver rounded out the pool with 1,102 votes. Another 1,070 “unresolved write-in votes” were recorded.

Harris and Trump were each in the region on the eve of the election, appearing on Monday at rallies in Allentown, Reading and Philadelphia, highlighting the importance of gaining voter support in the key swing state that comes with 19 Electoral College votes.

The U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Dave McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, showed preliminary, unofficial results with a total of 248,767 votes, Casey receiving 130,959 votes and McCormick receiving 61,047 votes. Three third-party candidates made up 4,944 votes, and 197 write-in votes were recorded.

Additional state row office races included attorney general, auditor general and treasurer, with Democratic candidates leading Republicans, according to the county’s election summary results.

Election officials expected high turnout in the state’s third most populous county rivaling the 2022 and 2020 races. Prior election summary reports recorded a 68.49 percent voter turnout rate in 2022 and 84.27 percent in 2020, the last presidential election between Trump and President Joe Biden.

There were 171,000 mail-in ballots returned as of Tuesday night, per a Montgomery County spokesperson, resulting in an 89 percent return rate.

At a 10 p.m. update, Makhija said he’s “never seen anything close to 90 percent. So that’s a very good sign of turnout, enthusiasm and a lot of out our outreach efforts in the county to reach people who voted by mail. to make sure they submitted their ballot.”

There were around 3,000 poll workers at 426 polling places throughout the county, with county officials noting an additional 200 people were brought on from the previously reported 2,800 poll workers.

County election officials had established 18 drop boxes across the county, and the Montgomery County Voter Services Satellite Office had “primarily serv[ed] as a mobile ballot drop box” on Election Day. There were eight satellite offices established that offered extended hours in October to assist voters with election-related questions, voter registration as well as requesting and returning mail-in ballots.

“Democracy as we know is a community effort and we are all doing our part,” said Montgomery County Election Board Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder.

Unofficial election results are available online at montgomerycountypa.gov, with periodic updates expected as tabulation efforts continue. Winder noted “we have teams that will be working around the clock to ensure that we can provide accurate election results.”

Election board officials anticipated in-person results around midnight, with mail-in ballot counted completed Wednesday morning, Makhija said.

Results will remain unofficial until certified by the Montgomery County Board of Elections. Visit montcovotes.com for more information about the 2024 general election in Montgomery County.

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