This op-ed was authored by Trey Grayson, and was published in PennLive.
Transparency in our electoral process is essential to fostering trust and legitimacy. As we saw in 2020, confusion about the counting process can lead to doubt in the outcomes – especially when there are razor thin margins. Voters are accustomed to knowing the winner the night of an election, but that does not mean every vote has been counted – it can take days if not weeks to tally every ballot. When margins are tight, voters can become unnerved, especially when candidates question the wait.