2020 Primary Absentee and Mail-in Canvas Procedures and XL Pre-Canvas Ballot Procedure

Absentee and Mail-in Canvas Procedures

Beginning on the evening of June 2, 2020 through the completion of the canvas, returned ballots shall be guarded overnight by a Philadelphia police officer.

Precanvas activities for the alternative, absentee, mail-in, and provisional ballots will begin early as 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at 520 Columbus Blvd, 6th Floor. All staff and those assisting in the precanvas and ballot scanning shall be sworn-in.

All alternative, absentee, and mail-in declaration envelopes received by the board prior to the sending of the electronic files for the printing of the poll books shall be reviewed and opened and the ballot (unless there is no ballot inside said envelope) scanned, with the best efforts taken to process ballots from contested primary elections for State Senate and State House with the largest number of submitted ballots first.

All absentee, and mail-in ballots received by the board after the sending of electronic files for the printing of the poll books shall be checked against the poll book to ensure that the voter did not cast a provisional ballot in-person on June 2nd. If a voter who cast a provision ballot is found to have cast an absentee or mail-in ballot, their provisional ballot shall not be opened. If the voter did not cast an in-person ballot, then their declaration envelope shall be reviewed and opened and the ballot scanned, with the best efforts taken to process ballots from contested primary elections for State Senate and State House with the largest number of submitted ballots first.

Results shall be uploaded at least twice daily, or more if determined practical by the staff conducting the canvas, to results.philadelphiavotes.com. One time shall be around noon and the other shall be at the conclusion of canvas activities for the day.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to keep the staff conducting the canvas safe, those permitted to be present for the canvas will be limited per 25 P.S. § 2650 and 25 P.S. § 3146.8 of the Pennsylvania Election Code to candidates and watchers. Through a partnership with the Committee of 70, the canvass of the alternative, absentee, mail-in, and provisional ballots will be streamed live online for those unable to attend in person. Watcher certificates for the canvass will be issued as follows:

• Any party or political body or body of citizens which now is, or hereafter may be, entitled to have watchers at any registration, primary or election may appoint watchers who are qualified electors of Philadelphia or attorneys representing said party or body. The number who may be present at any one time shall be limited to not more than three for each party, political body or body of citizens.

• Every candidate may be present in-person. Candidates may appoint a watcher who is an attorney representing them. Either the candidate or the attorney may be present at one time. Or candidate may appoint one authorized representative to be a watcher for the canvas of the absentee and mail-in canvas.

Those entitled to watchers must email vote@phila.gov with the name of each appointed watchers, the watcher’s addresses, and if the watcher is their attorney. To the extent the number of watchers requesting to be present at any given time exceeds the number consistent with social distancing guidelines, the Board of Elections will limit in-person viewing by endeavoring to allow watchers to view in-person on a rotating basis.

Any candidate, attorney, or watcher present may raise objections to ballots, which will be decided by the Philadelphia County Board of Elections at a later date.

XL Pre-Canvas Ballot Procedure

Election Night

1. Hopper sacks containing sealed hoppers with voted ballots will be collected by the Philadelphia Police Department when they collect the USBs

2. Police will drop off USBs at their designated Regional Transmission Center (RTC) and will transfer all hopper sacks to City Commissioners’ staff

3. Commissioners’ staff will track to make sure all sacks have been returned, and hopper sack QR codes will be scanned

4. Hopper sacks will be loaded into trucks

5. After all sacks have been loaded, trucks will be escorted by Philadelphia Police to 520 N Columbus Blvd

6. Philadelphia Police will assign a detail to guard the ballots

Wednesday Onward

1. Beginning Wednesday morning, hopper sacks will be unloaded - hoppers laid out, seal cards placed on top, and provisional ballot envelopes placed in boxes

2. Verify seals

3. Break seals, using wire cutters, remove paper ballots

a. Paper ballots are to be hand shuffled with at least six cuts to ensure a proper randomization of ballots

b. Place rubber band around stack of ballots and remove ward and division card from hopper and place card under rubber band

c. Repeat for all hoppers in a division, place all bundles of ballots for a division into a bag, place bag in designated box for that ward

4. Store ballots

5. All personnel handling the ballots will be deputized.

6. The Board of Elections intends to begin this process as early as 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at 520 Columbus Blvd, 8th Floor.
7. Philadelphia Police will assign a detail to guard the ballots