Chester County Board of Elections Outlines Election Investigation Timeline

The Chester County Board of Elections today released the timeline for its investigation into the Election Day error that resulted in third-party registered voters being omitted from poll books on Tuesday, November 4. The Board emphasized its commitment to transparency, accountability, and timely resolution as the county's provisional ballot review process continues.

"As of today, we identified the key questions that must be addressed through the investigation and presented the Board of Elections with several options for how the review can best proceed," said Chester County CEO David Byerman.

"Staff have been instructed to preserve all relevant materials, including evidence and notes, to support the investigatory process. We have also held a preliminary meeting with the Pennsylvania Department of State to understand its capacity to assist in the review," Byerman continued.

"In addition, we are identifying law firms and/or subject matter experts qualified to conduct an independent investigation," he added.

Investigation Timeline

• Monday, November 17 - Chester County administrative leadership will announce the independent party selected to conduct the investigation, along with established deadlines and deliverables.
• Friday, November 21 - An update on the investigation process will be provided during the Chester County Board of Elections meeting at 10:00 a.m.

"The formal investigation will begin once all votes have been counted to ensure that the process does not interfere with the certification of the election," noted Byerman.

Upon the advice of the selected firm, the County expects to set a firm deadline - likely early to mid-December - for completing the investigation and delivering recommendations based on the findings.

The final report and recommendations from the independent investigation are expected to be presented publicly at a Board of Elections meeting in December 2025 or January 2026. This meeting will be scheduled in the evening to encourage public attendance and participation.

Chester County Election Day Poll Book Error

Shortly after polls opened at 7:00 a.m. on Election Day, Chester County Voter Services identified a problem with the poll books used across all 230 precincts. The issue caused the omission of 75,076 third-party registered voters-out of the county's 385,856 total registered voters. Affected voters included those registered as Independent, Libertarian, "No Affiliation," or "Non-Partisan."

Chester County Voter Services directed Judges of Elections to follow standard procedure - providing provisional ballots to third-party voters until supplemental poll books containing their names could be delivered to each precinct. Later that day, the County announced judicial approval to extend voting hours at all polling locations, from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

More than 12,100 provisional ballots were cast in Chester County on Election Day, the majority resulting from the poll book error. As of the end of the day on Sunday, November 9, more than 4,300 of the estimated 12,100 provisional ballots were legally reviewed.

Daily updates will be provided until completion of the provisional ballot review process.

The scanning and tabulation of provisional ballots will begin on Tuesday, November 11, and will continue on a rolling basis.