CNN: Officials brace for lines and lawsuits as polls open on Election Day

11.3.2020 / By Jeremy Herb and Fredreka Schouten
CNN: Officials brace for lines and lawsuits as polls open on Election Day

Karen Hobert Flynn, the president of Common Cause, told reporters on Monday: "We need to let our election officials do their job and count every vote because that is what democracies are supposed to do."

(CNN)More than 100 million Americans cast their ballots before polls opened Tuesday, shattering records and likely reducing the number of people who will turn out to vote in person this year.

The threat remains for issues to arise, from the routine Election Day headaches — such as long lines and voting machines malfunctioning — to uniquely 2020 problems, including the threat that the coronavirus pandemic poses to voters and poll workers alike and the heightened fears law enforcement and elections officials have about intimidation and conflict occurring at the polls.
As the polls opened, Republicans in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania filed a federal lawsuit that took aim at how election officials in Democratic-leaning Montgomery County handled absentee ballots that arrived before Election Day.
The plaintiffs allege officials in this suburban Philadelphia county conducted “pre-canvassing” of ballots before 7 a.m. ET Tuesday and allowed people to fix perceived defects in their ballots. The Republicans want any changed ballots set aside.  …
Karen Hobert Flynn, the president of Common Cause, told reporters on Monday: “We need to let our election officials do their job and count every vote because that is what democracies are supposed to do.”

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