Casey, McCormick race triggers automatic recount as margins tighten

The race for US Senate remains undecided as it heads to an automatic recount. US Sen. Bob Casey trails McCormick by less than 0.5% and continues to cut into McCormick’s lead.

The race for US Senate between US Bob Casey (D-Penn) and Dave McCormick, a former Connecticut-based hedge fund manager, is heading to a mandatory recount according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. 

Casey has been cutting into McCormick’s lead with a little more than 80,000 provisional and absentee ballots to be counted, and he is currently trailing McCormick by 26,462 votes, or less than 0.5%, which triggers the state’s automatic recount provision. 

The remaining ballots that still have to be counted include 60,366 provisional ballots and 20,155 mail-in and absentee ballots.

The Department of State noted in a release that the recount will begin once counties have finished counting their outstanding provisional and mail-in or absentee ballots. 

After they are finished counting their ballots, counties have until Nov. 20 to begin the recount and must complete it by Nov. 26. They then have to report the recount results to Secretary of State Al Schmidy by 12 p.m. on Nov. 27. 

This is the fourth automatic recount since 2004 and in all four cases, the results of those elections were affirmed. 

The AP called the race for McCormick last Thursday, but Casey has refused to concede the race due to the amount of outstanding ballots. 

“Our county election officials will finish counting those votes, just like they do in every election. The American democratic process was born in Pennsylvania and that process will play out,” Casey said in a statement. 

“I want to thank the election workers across our Commonwealth who have been working diligently over the weekend. Their work will ensure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard.”