Last updated: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 11:12AM GMT
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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Tuesday is Election Day and Pennsylvania is key in the 2024 presidential election, as its 19 electoral votes offer the largest prize among the swing states expected to determine the Electoral College outcome.
The two candidates deadlocked in Pennsylvania, according to ABC News.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump made their final pitches to voters in the same parts of Pennsylvania at roughly the same time on Monday. They spent the last full day of the presidential campaign in a state that could make or break their chances.
Now, it's up to voters.
Nov 05, 2024, 10:53 AM
How to watch ABC News live coverage of 2024 election results
ABC News will have full coverage of the presidential election results and many other key down-ballot races on Election Day and the days afterward as votes continue to get counted.
Click here for everything you need to know to get the latest election results.
Nov 04, 2024, 7:54 PM GMT
FBI Field Office in Philadelphia establishes election command post
The FBI Field Office in Philadelphia said it has an election command post in operation for Election Day.
The command post will enable the FBI to streamline communication and ensure the safety and security of the election and the public, the bureau said.
"We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election," the FBI said in a news release.
The FBI will be working with local law enforcement partners.
"We encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement," the FBI statement continues.
Other FBI field offices across the country will also have election command posts.
Nov 04, 2024, 5:54 PM GMT
Under lock and key: How ballots get from Pennsylvania precincts to election offices
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.
Mail-in ballots sit in a secure area of the Allegheny County Elections Division warehouse, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Pittsburgh.
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.
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.
States with statutes restricting electioneering apparel, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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.
Elon Musk PAC tells Philadelphia judge the $1 million sweepstakes winners are not chosen by chance
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.
