On Friday, March 27, Governor Wolf signed Senate Bill 422, which reschedules the 2020 Primary Election from April 28 to June 2. The measure makes other election process changes, including some due to the COVID-19 emergency.
The bill provides process improvements to Act 77 of 2019, to allow counties to begin processing and tabulating mail ballots beginning at 7 a.m. on election day, rather than after the polls close at 8 p.m. Additionally, the measure allows counties to temporarily consolidate polling places without court approval and eases other rules regarding location and staffing of polling places for the primary to respond to county concerns about a potential shortage of poll workers and appropriate polling place locations.