What Happens on Election Night in Allegheny County

Thanks to a quirk of Pennsylvania law, our 67 counties can’t start counting mail-in ballots until the polls open on election day. So while the rest of us head off to our respective polling places, everyone from the medical examiner to the street sweepers will be in a North Side warehouse opening envelopes and tallying up the votes. County communications director Abigail Gardner is here to explain what happens behind the scenes on election night and when we might know who wins, plus why Pittsburgh is better than Philly! Need some last-minute help with your ballot? Check out our procrastinator's guide to the primary election! **This episode originally published October 21, 2024. Learn more about the sponsors of this May 20th episode: Pittsburgh Pride Heinz History Center Bike PGH Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news?  Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.