Election Results Archive

Delaware County Pennsylvania/ Delco Votes!/ Election Results Archive

Page updated September 02, 2026

Delaware County Election Results Archive

This page provides official results of recent elections in Delaware County, including primary, general, municipal, and special elections.

Election Results Overview

By law, the process of opening, and counting mail-in and absentee ballots, also known as pre-canvassing and canvassing, always begins the morning of Election Day.

Although mail-in and absentee ballots are opened and scanned during Election Day, the results of the scanned ballots may not be tabulated until the polls close at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Once the polls close, mail/absentee ballots continue to be tallied and reported throughout the evening. Votes cast at the precinct polling places on Election Day are captured on the memory devices from the polling place scanners (and preserved on the paper ballots). Once enough memory devices are collected and processed, the unofficial results are updated in the hours after the polls close.

As has always been the case, results remain unofficial for about two weeks after Election Day. Legally required steps at the county level include: completion of the entire canvass; processing eligible provisional ballots; processing eligible military ballots; processing on-time ballots where the voter supplied verifying ID by the Monday after Election Day; processing write-in votes; and, completing other post-election audits and reviews. Certification then happens at the County level. Still later, the Pennsylvania Department of State certifies the cumulative results from the 67 counties.

Ballot Security

The Board follows all requirements under the Pennsylvania Election Code regarding ballot security.

Mail/absentee ballot return envelopes that are received through the mail are date stamped. Mail/absentee ballot return envelopes that are received through county drop boxes stamped with the date and the location of the county drop box that the envelope was retrieved. Whether returned through a drop box or the mail, the envelopes are sorted by precinct and logged in the Pennsylvania Statewide Registry of Electors (SURE) system, and then secured until the envelopes can be pre-canvassed and canvassed on Election Day.

Preventing Election Fraud

Many people have expressed concerns about potential election fraud, particularly regarding the newer mail-in ballot voting option. Delaware County works to address these concerns.

Each mail-in and absentee return envelope has a unique voter-specific bar code. If someone were to return multiple copies in an attempt to vote more than once, that would be revealed by the bar code. Only the first envelope scanned with a voter-specific bar code from a Delaware County voter who submitted a valid application with valid ID can and will be accepted and counted. If any duplicates were to arrive, they would be set aside and reported to law enforcement.

To prevent attempts to vote by mail and in person, any voters who have been sent a mail/absentee ballot are identified in the poll book. Such voters would be able to cast only provisional ballots, which then are reviewed after Election Day to make sure the voter has not voted by mail/absentee ballot.

Provisional Ballot Observers

One authorized representative of each candidate in the election and one representative from each political party may review the provisional ballot envelopes and the staff’s preliminary determinations.

Any party or candidate seeking to have an authorized representative at the provisional ballot review must email VoterReg@co.delaware.pa.us with the name of each authorized representative they would like to designate no later than the Wednesday immediately following Election Day. If the authorized representative is an attorney for a party or candidate, the PA Bar number should be included. Due to security restrictions, observer requests must be received by the deadline in order to be approved prior to the start of the provisional ballot review process. Requests received after that deadline will be considered if and as time permits.

Any objections to staff findings must be submitted in writing at least two business days ahead of the provisional-ballot hearing so that we may notify any voters whose provisional ballots might not count under the objection. The provisional-ballot hearing, by law, must be conducted within seven days of election day.