Secretary of the Commonwealth of PA Al Schmidt gets candid in sit-down with FOX 29's Jeff Cole

PHILADELPHIA - According to Pennsylvania law, vote canvassing—or the counting of votes—cannot begin until 7 a.m. on Election Day.

FOX 29's Jeff Cole spoke with the state's top election official, tasked with ensuring the integrity of every ballot.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt oversees elections in Pennsylvania, and in what may be one of the closest and most contentious elections in the country's history, his role is under intense scrutiny. 

Schmidt, who for ten years led the vote count in Philadelphia, was appointed by Governor Shapiro to lead the state's efforts. He now oversees the election operations of 67 counties, including some 46,000 election workers.

Schmidt has voiced concerns that a third of voters will not trust the election results despite efforts to reassure them.

"How do you strengthen confidence in our system of government because the sorts of misinformation and disinformation people are subjected to day and night through social media or elsewhere?" said Al Schmidt, Secretary of the Commonwealth. "It’s a corrosive effect—corrosive in terms of confidence in the results—the threats of violence, threats of intimidation."

As to when voters will know the outcome of the election here, Schmidt mentioned that voting officials will work diligently and are aware of the scrutiny they face, but he offered no predictions on the timing of the results.