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The small margin between Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and victor Sen.-elect Dave McCormick (R-PA) has triggered an automatic recount. 

Pennsylvania law requires a recount if the margin between two candidates in a statewide election is within 0.5%. Election recounts can also be initiated if one party raises concerns of potential electoral fraud, or administrative errors are detected or alleged. Three voters can also trigger a vote recount within their precinct if they lodge claims of alleged electoral fraud.

Meanwhile, GOP’s McCormick garnered 3,383,676 votes, or 48.91% of the total valid ballots cast, while Democratic Party’s Casey received 3,357,191, or 48.52%, with the margin between the two candidates being 26,485 votes or 0.39%, which is within the recount margin. 

The recount must start by Wednesday, November 20 once the counties complete their tallying, and it must conclude by noon, November 26. Final results must published not earlier than November 27. 

Despite Casey’s reluctance to concede in the face of the inevitable recount and projected loss, GOP’s McCormick’s victory isn’t in doubt to anyone else but him, pushing the number of the Republican Senate seats to 53. The Republican Senator-elect has already attended the new-senator orientation in Washington D.C., suggesting that the election was a foregone conclusion. 

However, the outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was reluctant to invite McCormick pending the recount. Nonetheless, the projected Senator-elect’s invitation came through, eliminating all doubts that he would eventually be declared the official winner. 

Arizona’s Democratic Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego, whose victory was also in contention, also received the invitation to the new-senator orientation event.

“Senator-elect McCormick’s lead is insurmountable, which the AP made clear in calling the race,” said Elizabeth Gregory, McCormick’s spokesperson, adding that the recount was a waste of time and taxpayers’ money. 

Sen.-elect McCormick also delivered a victory speech in Pittsburgh, thanking Casey for his service. However, Sen. Casey has of yet, refused to budge.

“Senator-elect McCormick knows what it’s like to lose an election and is sure Senator Casey will eventually reach the right conclusion,” said Gregory.

Four automatic recounts since Act 97 of 2004 became law were settled in favor of the frontrunner. No evidence suggests that the race between Casey and McCormick would be any different.

However, in a show of defiance in the face of an impending defeat, the three-time senator insisted that the democratic process “will play out” once all the votes are counted.

“Our county election officials will finish counting those votes, just like they do in every election,” Casey said.

Likely, Casey is holding out until he exhausts all the legal avenues, suggesting that he was not satisfied with the election’s outcome.

Nonetheless, critics of Pennsylvania recount laws claim that the provisions create an avenue for weaponized delay of certification by allowing voters to file baseless claims. 

They note that the cost of the voter-initiated recount of $50, initially made to be prohibitive in 1927, has never been updated to reflect its current equivalent value of about $900. It also does not require petitioners to file proof of fraud, thus lowering the threshold of challenging election results in Pennsylvania.

In November 2022, nearly 150 petitions were filed in Pennsylvania, mostly challenging Senate and gubernatorial election results.