Republican Dave McCormick holds a slim lead in his attempt to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

McCormick gave a victory speech Friday morning after the Associated Press projected him winning the race, though CBS News has not projected a winner in the race because there are absentee ballots and provisional ballots yet to be counted in areas Casey said are traditionally areas he has won.

Most states, even if their results aren’t yet certified, have some certainty over election results. It’s frustrating that we don’t have that here in Pennsylvania. We’d have faster results if we allowed local Boards of Elections to count mail-in ballots before Election Day. That’s how we find ourselves in the position that, in some highly populated counties where there are more mail-in ballots, there are tens of thousands of uncounted votes days after the general election ended. In fairness, the count of mail ballots has been faster this year than it was in 2020.

It could have been even faster if elections workers were allowed to start counting mailed votes before Election Day or to prepare provisional ballots to be counted before the election. Forty-three states allowed election workers to pre-canvass votes this year, up from 27 states in 2020. That includes Democratic Party strongholds like New York and Republican strongholds like Montana and Utah. Among the major battleground states, only Pennsylvania and Wisconsin don’t allow pre-canvassing.

It’s important to get the count right. It’s important to make sure elections are held fairly. It’s also important to get results as quickly as possible. Creating a fair system that allows faster counting of mail and provisional ballots is a good place to start if state lawmakers want to find unity on something in the coming legislative session.