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BELLEFONTE -- Primary Election Day isn't over just yet.
During their weekly meeting on Tuesday, the Centre County Board of Commissioners were asked if all ballots had been counted.
"I would say no at this point," said commissioner Steve Dershem. "We just have received guidance from the state that we have to do a consideration of the outstanding, undated mail-in votes. Also, there are some military ballots that need added to the mix as well."
Dershem said the count was expected to be completed by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The ballot controversy stems from the Republican Senate race. Statewide, there is a razor thin margin between celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz and former hedge fund CEO David McCormick. That election is almost certainly headed to a recount.
Some counties -- like Centre County -- were still tallying their very last votes, such as overseas and military ballots that could arrive through yesterday as long as they were postmarked by the May 17 election.
All counties were required to send unofficial vote counts to the Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees elections, by 5 p.m. Tuesday. However, even then, those unofficial vote counts are not final -- thanks to the last tallies of votes like provisional ballots -- and will change slightly before a recount.
According to chair Michael Pipe, there were "roughly 50 ballots" that were undated.
"Mail-in ballots, absentee ballots and then we just received five military (ballots). The vast majority have been tabulated, but still we respect the fact that folks overseas or military personnel … as long as it's postmarked by the 16th, the day before the primary, and received by (Tuesday) afternoon, it will count," Pipe said.
Ballots that did not have a hand-written date were originally set aside, Pipe said.
"We had an election board meeting, rejected them due to the precedent that was set in the November 2020 election … but they were basically set aside, segregated and secured. We had not yet alerted the voter to the final determination for that," Pipe said.
Pennsylvania election law requires an automatic recount if the difference between the top two candidates for a statewide office is 0.5 percent of the vote or less.
"We won't know that until (today), the secretary will advise. But the margin is narrowing. It's going to be quite close," Pipe said. "We did a recount following the general election in November, so our team is well prepared to do it."
If the margin is so close that an automatic recount is necessary, the expense falls on the state, Pipe said.
"In the case of an automatic recount, the state would reimburse us," he said.
In other business Tuesday, the commissioners:
-- Approved Proclamation No. 22 of 2022, proclaiming 50th anniversary of the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority in Centre County.
-- Approved a contract award for the request for professional services for the former Centre Crest facility in Bellefonte.
-- Approved 17 contracts for children and youth. Among those mentioned in contracts were: Centre Safe, Learning Centers, LLC, ABC Children's Center, LLC, Alternative Living Solutions, Premier Biotech, McCloskey Counseling Center, Aimee Senott, Claire Kimmel, Esq., Bobbie Rabuck, Esq., H. Denning Mason, Esq., YMCA of Centre County-Penns Valley, YMCA of Bellefonte, YMCA of Centre County-State College, Avanco International, Inc., and Manos House, Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Services, Inc. All 17 of the contracts were moved to next week's consent agenda.
-- Approved a contract with CBY Systems to complete background checks for sheriff personnel in compliance with Act 57. The contract is $456.25 for the period of April 26, 2022 to April 26, 2023.
-- Approved Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant funding (RACP) for the Centre Volunteers in Medicine clinic construction in Ferguson Township in the amount of $500,000.
The commissioners reminded Centre County residents that county offices will be closed on Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day. The board of commissioners will meet again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, at the Willowbank Building. The meeting is open to the public and will also be televised live by C-NET.