Philadelphia City Commissioner Promises Faster Ballot Count Than in 2020

Philadelphia is getting ready to count ballots faster in the 2024 election than it did in 2020. City Commissioner Seth Bluestein told CNN that, by starting to review mail ballots as soon as polls opened at 7 a.m., the city aims to finish counting sooner.

Bluestein said the process will be faster because more people are voting in person this year, which means there are fewer mail ballots to count. Philadelphia also has new equipment and extra workers to speed up the job.

He expects most mail ballots to be counted by midday Wednesday if everything goes smoothly. Bluestein also assured voters that the election would be “free, fair, and secure” across the state.

Meanwhile, in Ohio, Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance cast his vote in Cincinnati this morning with his wife, Usha, and their children. After voting, Vance told reporters he felt positive about the Trump-Vance campaign, saying, “I feel good about this race.”

“I think my attitude is the best way to heal the rift in the country is to try to govern the country as well as we can, create as much prosperity as we can for the American people and remind our fellow Americans that we are all fundamentally on the same team, no matter how you voted,” Vance said.

“I certainly hope you vote for Donald J. Trump today … but if you vote the wrong way, in my view, I’m still going to love you, I’m still going to treat you as a fellow citizen and if I am lucky enough to be your vice president I’m going to fight hard for your dreams and your family over the next four years.”

Vance said he hasn’t had a chance to speak to the former president today, but he plans to watch the election results with Trump in Palm Beach later tonight. He said “my heart is just overwhelmed with gratitude” to be campaigning for vice president of the United States.

“The fact that I’m standing here is a testament that we live in the greatest country in the world,” Vance said.

Vance acknowledged that the country is divided, but promised to work for all Americans if elected. “If I become your vice president, I’m going to fight hard for everyone’s dreams and families over the next four years,” he said, emphasizing the need for unity.

Vance plans to watch the election results with Trump in Palm Beach tonight and expressed gratitude for this chance. “The fact that I’m standing here shows we live in the greatest country in the world,” he said.