The process of tabulating the ballots cast in Tuesday’s General Election started at 9 a.m. at the Warren County Courthouse.

State law allows counties to start processing mail-in ballots at 7 a.m. on election day.

The Board of Elections and several temporary clerks – representing both political parties – met at 9 a.m. to start that process, which was expected to be completed about lunch time.

Elections Director Krystle Ransom said that there were 1,500 ballots to be processed.

Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Elections Director Krystle Ransom explains the mail-in ballot pre-canvassing process Tuesday morning.

She added that total equates to 72% of the ballots that were sent “which is about normal.”

Solicitor Nathaniel Schmidt said there are four main characteristics that will be flagged on a mail-in ballot.

Those include ballots with no names, ballots with invalid dates or no dates, ballots that aren’t signed as well as “naked ballots” that were returned to the county without the required secrecy envelope.

He explained that things like other marks on a ballot or a secrecy envelope other than the one provided are among the characteristics generally accepted by the county’s Board of Elections.

Schmidt said “anything that looks unusual” will be adjudicated later. The Board of Elections also typically meets on Friday to adjudicate ballots and write-ins.

There stand to be many write-ins as many of the municipal offices throughout the county didn’t have candidates.

And most of the ones that did were not contested.

The two contested races in the county were for Sheffield Township supervisor and a seat in Region III on the Warren County school board.

Warren City Council only has the number of seats up as there are candidates but that race is complicated by a write-in campaign launched by Kevin Sheldon, who is specifically challenging Maurice Cashman for a two-year term.

That race gained a little statewide attention Monday night when Cashman was endorsed by state treasurer Stacy Garrity.

“Thrilled to endorse Maury Cashman for re-election to the Warren City Council,” Garrity wrote on her campaign Facebook page. “Maury’s done great things for the community, never raising taxes while always supporting first responders. He’s more than earned another term.”

Millions and millions of dollars have been spent on the ballot’s other contested races – state judgeships.

Results for those races will be available at electionreturns.pa.gov.

“After the polls close, voters, candidates, and members of the media will be able to find the most complete picture of how Pennsylvanians voted on our election returns site,” Secretary of the Commonwealth All Schmidt said. “We are working with all 67 counties to make sure we get updated, unofficial results posted and available to the public beginning at 8 p.m. on Nov. 7.”

He noted that Pennsylvania election law does not allow counties to start pre-canvassing ballots until 7 a.m. on election day. As a result, patience is required to get a full tally.

“Giving election workers time to accurately and securely count each vote is our top priority, and so we ask for patience as we await results,” Schmidt added.