In a move to provide greater transparency, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt today announced that new data has been added relating to the 2024 general election in Pennsylvania.

The Department of State (DOS), which has traditionally provided bulk files on voter registration and elections returns data, now has added summary data on voter registration history and also on mail ballots.

For both analyses, DOS has created a downloadable spreadsheet and an interactive graphic dashboard so interested parties can choose which way to view the data. It is the Department’s intention to provide these analyses after each election moving forward, including the 2025 municipal primary. That data will be available as soon as the complete data is verified and ready for posting.

Schmidt said that while it was certainly a priority for the Shapiro Administration to provide the data, it was a personal experience that helped motivate him to lead the charge.

“When I first moved to Philadelphia in 2005, I called up the city commissioner’s office to ask them how many registered voters that there were in the city,” he said. “The response was asking me what my party affiliation was, and, why I wanted to know, and that really irritated me.

“So in 2011 when I was elected city commissioner, I made sure that we maximized transparency as much as possible. Everyone should have access to the same information, whether you’re a voter, a candidate, a campaign or a reporter.”

The mission appears to be providing the data so that it is not misunderstood nor misinterpreted.

“One reason we’re making this information available, which includes a handbook to help guide a consumer, is so it is not misused in some way to try to undermine confidence in election results, rather, to do what we can to build confidence in our system of government.”

A cursory glance at the mail ballot data showed that more than 4,700 mail votes were cancelled in the 2024 general election due to the outer return envelope having an incorrect date or no date at all. Another 3,500 were cancelled due to having no secrecy envelope, while another 3,000 were cancelled due to having no signature. Add to that an additional 6,800 that were received after the 8 p.m. election night deadline and that is approximately 18,000 votes that were cancelled.

That’s 15 percent of the margin of difference for President Donald Trump over former Vice President Kamala Harris. Or even more relevant, Sen. Dave McCormick defeated Bob Casey by just 15,000 votes.

The more you know.

“This helps with voter education to make sure people are aware like that,” continued Schmidt. “If you don’t sign your ballot, your ballot won’t be counted. It’s not just about election analysis of results. It’s also about voter education.”

The dashboard also revealed the differences in cancellation rates among the 67 counties. A pair of smaller counties – Fulton and Susquehanna – both had cancellation rates around 2.5%, while a larger county such as York had a 0.8% cancellation rate.

Top Five County Mail Ballot Cancellation Rates

1. Fulton, 2.51%
2. Susquehanna, 2.50%
3. Berks, 1.96%
4. McKean, 1.66%
5. Delaware, 1.63%

When asked if the data could be an impetus for the General Assembly to make significant moves toward election reform, Schmidt admitted he is an optimist and shared a line from the movie, Dumb and Dumber, which starred Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels.

“What are the odds,” he repeated, after Carrey asked his love interest the chances of getting together. “She says, the odds of us getting together are like one in a million. And he responds … and that’s exactly how I feel every legislative session … so you’re telling me there’s a chance.

“I am hopeful, but realistic at the same time.”

Could the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) utilize the data and agree to use the same parameters for canceling ballots or establish best practices?

Schmidt thought it possible, but that county flexibility to conduct elections that best serves their voters would probably rule the day.

“Running an election in Philadelphia is very different from running an election in Elk County,” he said. “It’s different. How do you make sure that you allow for some degree of flexibility so that counties can do what’s best for their voters, while at the same time having a degree of uniformity, so that a ballot isn’t counted in one county and not counted in a different county.”

There is also the question of standing up to legal challenges on an agreement that is not signed off on by the General Assembly.

“I’ve testified a number of times for our Pennsylvania House and Pennsylvania Senate and legislators sometimes kick my teeth in,” he shared. “Why are you not making elections more uniform at the county level in Pennsylvania? But that’s not something I have authority to do. That is something they have authority to do, and only our legislature, through the law signed by a governor, could bring that about.”