One fifth of registered Pennsylvania voters cast their ballot before Election Day
WEST GOSHEN TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) – With less than 24 hours left till the polls open on Election Day, voters are making sure their voices are heard.
It was a busy day at the Chester County Government Center in West Goshen Township, as hundreds of people arrived to drop off their mail ballots on Monday. Among the swarm was school custodian Mark Rhodes from West Chester.
"I wanted to vote by mail just to try it because I work third shift," Rhodes said. "I didn't want to have to wake up in the morning and go in to vote."
According to state data, about 20% of registered voters in Pennsylvania have already cast their ballot.
So far, 1.7 million Pennsylvania residents have voted by mail. That's down from 2020 when 2.6 million people voted by mail.
Josh Maxwell, chair of the Chester County Board of Elections, said nontraditional voting methods have been the target of legal challenges.
"Some folks have chosen not to vote by mail who have voted by mail previously," Maxwell said. "There's a lot of litigation in Pennsylvania as far as what ballots can be counted. So we see less people voting by mail and expect more people to vote in person tomorrow."
Maxwell expects a strong turnout on Election Day.
Margie Ruzicka from Newtown, Bucks County, said she plans to vote in person but came to Chester County to pick up her aunt's mail ballot as her designated agent.
"She is very adamant about voting in every election," Ruzicka. "She is 92 and has never missed an election."
Vote by mail remains a popular choice for people like Destiny Bell from Exton.
"I haven't voted in person ever," Bell said. "This was my first time today. I think it would be easier."
As for Mark Rhodes, he said voting sends an important message to his two daughters about women's suffrage.
"Maybe not in my generation, but in other generations, they were not able to vote, women were not able to vote," Rhodes said. "And I think it's important that everybody should be able to vote."
Workers at the Chester County Board of Elections office will begin counting votes on 7 a.m. on Election Day.
