Live election 2024 updates in the Philadelphia region and the focus on Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania election officials take a variety of measures to secure ballots when they are transported from polling places to county facilities.

For instance, in Philadelphia, local police officers collect ballots from polling places after the polls close on Election Day.

However, the exact protocols vary by county.

In Berks County, poll workers will transport ballots in sealed boxes back to the county elections office, where they will be locked in a secure room, according to Stephanie Nojiri, assistant director of elections for the county located east of Harrisburg.

Poll workers and county election officials also utilize chain of custody paperwork to document the transfer of ballots as they are moved from polling places to secure county facilities.

Sheriff's deputies in Berks County monitor the county's three drop boxes during the day, according to Nojiri. When county elections officials come to empty the drop boxes, which are secured by four locks, they unlock two of the locks, while the sheriff's deputies unlock the other two.

Officials remove the ballots, count them, record the number of ballots on a custody sheet, and put the ballots in a sealed box before they transported back to the county's processing center.

Philadelphia has 34 ballot drop boxes, which are emptied daily and twice on Election Day by election workers, according to Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein. The bags used for transporting ballots from drop boxes are also sealed, and workers who are returning these ballots complete and sign a chain of custody form.

"The transportation of ballots is done in a secure, controlled manner, and the public should have confidence in the integrity of that ballot collection process," Bluestein said.

READ MORE: HERE

Millions of people have cast their ballots without incident so far this election. Though in some reported cases there have been issues with what voters are wearing to the polls.

Every state has restrictions on electioneering in some form near polling sites, "such as limiting the display of signs, handing out campaign literature or soliciting votes within a pre-determined distance (typically 50 to 200 feet) of a polling place," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Nearly half of states have statutes restricting what you can wear to vote, according to NCSL, including Delaware and New Jersey. However, Pennsylvania does not.

The restrictions on political apparel could extend to political references beyond the candidates or issues on the ballot.

Penalties for violating electioneering laws could include fines or imprisonment, though people are typically asked to remove or cover up any political items in order to vote.

READ MORE: HERE

A lawyer for Elon Musk's political action committee told a judge in Philadelphia on Monday that so-called "winners" of his $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes in swing states are not chosen by chance but are instead chosen to be paid "spokespeople" for the group.

GOP lawyer Chris Gober also said that the recipients Monday and Tuesday will come from Arizona and Michigan, respectively, and therefore will not affect the Pennsylvania election.

He said the recipients are chosen based on their personal stories and sign a contract with the political organization, America PAC.

"The $1 million recipients are not chosen by chance," Gober said Monday. "We know exactly who will be announced as the $1 million recipient today and tomorrow."

Musk did not attend the hearing, held on the day before the presidential election. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner took the witness stand Monday and called the sweepstakes a scam as he asked the judge to shut it down.

READ MORE HERE

All polling places in Pennsylvania are open on Election Day, Nov. 5, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Here are five steps to prepare to vote in-person.

Step 1: Check your voter registration
Pennsylvania voters can check their registration online by providing their name, Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID card number, or over the phone by calling their county elections office.

Step 2: Confirm your polling place
Polling places sometimes change, so it's important to double-check you know where you're going.

Step 3: Plan a time to vote
The busiest times are generally first thing in the morning, around lunch and after work.

Step 4: Know what to bring

Step 5: Vote
Research the candidates that will be on your ballot and put your plan into action. Voters can bring notes or use their phones while filling out a ballot.

READ MORE: HERE