Recount laws in Pennsylvania
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An election recount is a process by which votes cast in an election are re-tabulated to verify the accuracy of the original results. Recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. Recounts can either occur automatically or be requested by a candidate or voters.
Pennsylvania law requires an automatic recount if the margin of a statewide election is less than or equal to 0.5%. A group of three voters may request a recount in their election district. Requesters are responsible for costs associated with the recount but a refund is available if the recount shows that fraud or substantial error occurred.
Summary of recount laws
The list below shows answers to common questions regarding recounts in Pennsylvania.[1]
- Does state law require automatic recounts?
- Yes, when the margin for a statewide office or ballot measure is less than or equal to 0.5% of the total vote. An automatic recount may be required in the event of certain discrepancies described below.
- When must an automatic recount be completed?
- No later than the first Tuesday after the third Wednesday following the election.
- Can a recount be requested?
- Yes, the recount can be requested within five days of the election or within five days after the computational canvass if requested through the court of common pleas. No margin is required and there is no set deadline for completion.
- Who pays for a requested recount?
- The requester.
- Is a refund available for requested recount costs?
- Yes. Costs paid by the requester are refunded if the recount reveals substantial error or fraud.
- Can a partial recount be requested?
- Yes.
Pennsylvania recount procedures
Automatic recount procedures
Pennsylvania requires automatic recounts if the margin of victory for a statewide office or ballot question appearing on the ballot in every election district is less than or equal to 0.5% of all votes cast for the office or ballot measure.[2] Such a recount must be ordered by the secretary of state no later than 5:00 p.m. on the second Thursday following the election. The recount shall begin no later than the third Wednesday following the election and must be completed no later than 12:00 p.m. on the following Tuesday.[2]
Election officials may be required to conduct an automatic recount in the event of certain discrepancies described here.[3]
Requested recount procedures
Three voters of an election district may request a recount in the county of their election district by submitting an affidavit alleging errors in the vote totals. The deadline to request such a recount is no later than five days after the election.[2] Three voters of an election district may also request a recount through the court of common pleas.[4] In order to conduct the recount in multiple election districts, requests must be made in each respective district following these guidelines.[4] The deadline to request such a recount is no later than five days after the completion of computational canvassing. If error or fraud is found, an additional five days is provided to make additional requests elsewhere.[5] Requesters are responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount shows that fraud or substantial error occurred, in which case the costs are refunded.[4] There is no set deadline for the completion of requested recounts.
More information about recount procedures in Pennsylvania can be found here and here.
Pennsylvania voting equipment
- See also: Voting methods and equipment by state
Pennsylvania uses hand-marked paper ballots and ballot-marking devices in its elections.[6]
Noteworthy events
United States Senate election in Pennsylvania (2024)
On Nov. 13, 2024, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt (R) announced that the unofficial results to the Nov. 5 general election triggered a legally required statewide recount. According to that announcement, Casey and McCormick received vote totals within one-half of one percentage point, requiring the recount.[7] As of the announcement, Casey had received 3,350,972 votes or 48.5% and McCormick received 3,380,310 votes, or 48.9%, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. [7]
After Election Day, the Casey and McCormick campaigns clashed over several issues including the counting of provisional and undated or wrongly dated mail-in ballots.[8] The Casey campaign and allies challenged several county boards' of elections decisions not to count certain provisional ballots, while the McCormick campaign and allies filed several lawsuits to prevent the counting of mail-in ballots with incorrect date information.[8]
The Department of State called off the recount after Casey conceded to McCormick on Nov. 21.[9][10]
United States Senate election in Pennsylvania Republican primary (2022)
Pennsylvania law required a recount because the initial vote margin was within 0.5% of the total vote. Pennsylvania Secretary of State Leigh Chapman ordered a recount on May 25 that lasted from May 27 to June 8.[11] Before the recount, Mehmet Oz led David McCormick by 902 votes.[12] Based on final results, Oz beat McCormick by 951 votes.[13]
McCormick's campaign sued to have ballots counted that were mailed and received on or before election day but did not have a written date on the envelope. The lawsuit cited a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in a case relating to a 2021 judicial election that required such ballots to be counted.[12] On May 31, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an administrative stay of the Third Circuit's ruling pending further action, meaning such ballots would not have to be counted.[14]
50-state overview of recount laws
The table below summarizes where state laws allow for automatic and requested recounts. Click "show" to view the table.
As of September 2025, state law in 48 states included a recount provision, automatic recounts are possible in 28 states, and requested recounts are possible in 43 states.
The map and table below outline the type of recount laws in each state.
50-state overview of requested recounts
The table below summarizes how requested recounts are paid for and whether it is possible for candidates to request a partial recount. Click "show" to view the table.
As of September 2025, the requester of a recount pays for the recount in 23 states, the state pays in seven states, in 11 states it depends on the circumstances of the election or the recount, and in two states it is unclear which party pays for the recount. In 27 states a refund may be available for a requested recount, in four states a refund depends on the circumstances of the recount, and in five states no refund is available. The remaining 14 states have state-funded requested recounts or do not have requested recounts. In 27 states a partial recount may be requested.
| State[17] | Who pays for a requested recount? | Refund available? | Can candidates request a partial recount? | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Requester | Yes | Yes | 16-20,21 |
| Alaska | State/Requester Depends on margin | Yes | Yes | 20.430-490 |
| Arizona | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 16-661,249 |
| Arkansas | Requester | Yes | No | 7-5-319 |
| California | Requester | Yes | Yes | 15620-15634 |
| Colorado | Requester | Yes | No | 10.5-101-109 |
| Connecticut | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 9-445,6-311a |
| Delaware | State | N/A | Yes | 5702(C,E) |
| District of Columbia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-1001.11(a) |
| Florida | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 102.141,166 |
| Georgia | State | N/A | Yes | 21-2-495,499 |
| Hawaii | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 11-158 |
| Idaho | State/Requester Depends on margin | Yes | Yes | 34-2301-2309 |
| Illinois | Requester | Maybe[18] | Yes | 5/22-9.1, 18 |
| Indiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-12-11-1-10 |
| Iowa | State | N/A | No | 43.56 & 50.48 |
| Kansas | State/Requester Depends on margin | Yes | Yes | 25-3107 |
| Kentucky | Requester | No | Yes | 120.017,095,185,250,280 |
| Louisiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 18-1451 & 1453 |
| Maine | State/Requester Depends on margin | Yes | No | 737-A |
| Maryland | State/Requester Depends on margin | Yes | Yes | 12-101-107 |
| Massachusetts | State | N/A | Yes | 54:135,A,B |
| Michigan | Requester | Yes | Yes | 168.879-894 |
| Minnesota | State/Requester Depends on margin | Yes | Yes | 204C.35-361 |
| Mississippi | No requested recounts | N/A | No | N/A |
| Missouri | Requester | Maybe[19] | No | 115.601 |
| Montana | State/Requester Depends on margin | Maybe[20] | No | 13-16-201-11 |
| Nebraska | Requester | Yes | Yes | 32-1119,1121 |
| Nevada | Requester | Yes | No | 293.403-405 |
| New Hampshire | State/Requester Depends on election type[21] | Varies[22] | No | 660:1-16 |
| New Jersey | Requester | Yes | Yes | 19:28-1,2,3 |
| New Mexico | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-14-14 to 25 |
| New York | Unclear[23] | No | No | 9-208 |
| North Carolina | State | N/A | No | 163-182.7,182.7A |
| North Dakota | Requester | No | No | 16.1-16-01 |
| Ohio | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3515.01-072 |
| Oklahoma | Requester | Yes | Yes | 26-8-109 to 117 |
| Oregon | Requester | Yes | Yes | 258.006-300 |
| Pennsylvania | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3154g,3261-3 |
| Rhode Island | Unclear[24] | No | No | 17-19-37.1 |
| South Carolina | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 7-17-280 |
| South Dakota | State | N/A | Yes | 12-21-1 to 37 |
| Tennessee | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 2-17,18 |
| Texas | Requester | Yes | Yes | 211 to 216 |
| Utah | State/Requester Depends on requester[25] | No | No | 20A-4-401 |
| Vermont | State | N/A | No | 17-51-2601,2602 |
| Virginia | State/Requester Depends on margin | Yes | No | 8-24.2-800 to 802.3 |
| Washington | Requester | Yes | Yes | 29A.64 |
| West Virginia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-6-9 |
| Wisconsin | State/Requester Depends on margin | Yes | Yes | 9.01 & 5.90 |
| Wyoming | Requester | Yes | No | 22-16-109 to 114 |
State legislation
The table below lists bills related to recounts introduced during (or carried over to) Pennsylvania's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
See also
- Election recount laws and procedures in the 50 states
- Voting in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania
- Voting methods and equipment by state
Footnotes
- ↑ WestLaw, "Chapter 14. Election Code," accessed September 24, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 WestLaw, "25 P.S. § 3154," accessed September 24, 2025
- ↑ Specifically, subsections (b), (d)(1) & (5), (d)(4), and (e)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 WestLaw, "25 P.S. § 3261," accessed September 24, 2025
- ↑ WestLaw, "25 P.S. § 3263," accessed September 24, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "The Verifier - Election Day Equipment - November 2026," accessed September 24, 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedpagov - ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Pennsylvania’s Senate race is now playing out in county board rooms and the courtroom" November 15, 2024
- ↑ X,"Bob Casey Jr.," November 21, 2024
- ↑ Spotlight PA, "Pennsylvania calls off recount in U.S. Senate race after Casey concedes to McCormick," November 22, 2024
- ↑ NewsTimes, "Recount begins in Pennsylvania's GOP primary for Senate," May 27, 2022
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Hill, "Pennsylvania officially orders recount in GOP Senate primary," May 25, 2022
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedrecountdone - ↑ Politico, "Pa. GOP Senate race upended by court cases," May 31, 2022
- ↑ Verified Voting, "Arizona Recount Laws," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ A court may order a recount under Arizona law.
- ↑ This category encompasses instances where the state government pays for recounts and those states where counties pay.
- ↑ A recount alone cannot change the election results, but can be used to contest the election. At the end of that process, the court may choose not to levy costs against the prevailing party.
- ↑ Recounts occur as part of a contested election. A requester may be required to cover costs before the start of such an event. The court may choose to require the unsuccessful party in a contested election to cover the costs, which could involve a refund to the requester if he or she is the successful party.
- ↑ In the case of a court-ordered recount, candidates must pay, but will be refunded if the outcome changes. Regarding non-court-ordered recounts, state law does not mention whether the candidate is refunded in such a case.
- ↑ The state covers requested recounts of statewide constitutional amendments. The requester covers all other recounts.
- ↑ For local and county ballot measure elections, state law does not mention the possibility of a refund. For all other recounts, costs paid by the requester are refunded if the recount changes the election outcome.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ The state pays for candidate-requested recounts. The requester pays for voter-requested recounts of ballot measures.
