Pennsylvania Republican Senate Primary Headed For Recount 5/25/22 Transcript

Ukee: (00:04) There are major developments in Pennsylvania's primary vote count. The acting Secretary of State has ordered a recount in the Republican race for US Senate. The latest numbers show Mehmet Oz leads Dave McCormick by a margin of just over 900 votes, but there are still more than 10,000 provisional and absentee ballots to be counted. Eyewitness News reporter, Alicia Roberts, joins us now from Philadelphia's election warehouse in the Northeast, where they made a key ruling on another type of ballot today. Alicia. Alicia Roberts: (00:34) Ukee, good afternoon. It all comes down to the numbers. Just 902 votes separate the top two candidates. Today we learned there are at least 860 Republican mail-in undated ballots that the counties can decide whether or not to include in their final election results. Bucks County will include 45 in theirs, and as of this morning, Philadelphia will count more than 100 votes in their final result. Leigh Chapman: (01:03) The 902 vote difference between these two candidates is within the one half of 1% margin that triggers a mandatory recount under state law. Alicia Roberts: (01:14) Pennsylvania's Republican Senate race is heading to a recount. And by the numbers it's still too close to call. With just 902 votes separating Mehmet Oz and David McCormick, 860 undated republican ballots reported in 65 of 67 counties matter, along with 10,000 provisional and absentee ballots still left to count. Leigh Chapman: (01:39) Our position is that undated and incorrectly dated ballots should count. Alicia Roberts: (01:44) Undated ballots have been a legal point of contention that for now are left up to the counties to decide. Wednesday morning, Philadelphia County voted to include theirs, the first time since the 2020 general election. Lisa Deeley: (01:57) There are around 2000 undated ballots that we're going to count and of that there's about 100 Republicans. Alicia Roberts: (02:02) So not enough to change the Senate race? Lisa Deeley: (02:05) Not enough in Philadelphia to change the Senate race. Alicia Roberts: (02:07) Philadelphia's return board did not approve counting 196 naked mail-in ballots, those mailed in without a security envelope, something Philadelphia's election chair wants to see changed. Lisa Deeley: (02:20) There's no reason for them not to be counted. Alicia Roberts: (02:22) Yeah. Lisa Deeley: (02:23) There's no question that we got that ballot back in time. There is no question that the voter is a qualified elector. Alicia Roberts: (02:33) This is the seventh time in Pennsylvania history, a recount has been ordered, but it has never changed the result of an election. It will cost taxpayers $1 million when it was all said and done, and we are expecting to get those results on June 8th, two weeks from today. We're live in the Northeast. Alicia Roberts, CBS 3, Eyewitness News. Ukee: (02:54) Alicia, thank you.