Schmidt certifies results of 2024 election in Pennsylvania

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt on Wednesday certified the results of the 2024 general election, after the Department of State verified the totals provided by all 67 counties.

“After a careful review of the counties’ election results, I am pleased to confirm that Pennsylvania had a free, fair, safe, and secure general election on Nov. 5,” Schmidt said in a statement. “Thank you to county election officials for their hard work preparing for and conducting a smooth election.”

According to the DOS, statewide turnout for the election was nearly 77%, with more than 7 million Pennsylvania registered voters casting a ballot.

The DOS announced Monday it had completed two required audits of general election ballots that confirmed the accuracy of  the results.

Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes made it a key piece of the puzzle for presidential candidates, with GOP candidate Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, spending millions of dollars campaigning across the state. Trump won the presidency, taking 50.37% of the vote in Pennsylvania, compared to Harris’ 48.66%.

All statewide races for row offices were won by Republicans as well, with the partisan makeup of the legislature remaining the same, with Republicans controlling the state Senate and Democrats controlling the state House. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey lost his bid for a fourth term to GOP challenger Dave McCormick.

Under the federal Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, the deadline for Gov. Josh Shapiro to sign and issue Pennsylvania’s certificate of ascertainment — which officially records and reports the results – is Dec. 11. Then, the Electoral College meets in Harrisburg on Dec. 17 to vote for president and vice president.