After the 2022 elections, a flurry of precinct-level recount petitions prevented Pennsylvania from certifying its election results until Dec. 22 — weeks later than usual.

This year presents an even more difficult scenario: a new federal law that says states must certify their slate of presidential electoral votes by Dec. 11. That’s about five weeks after Election Day.

Election officials and policy advocates are concerned that another influx of recount petitions after a much busier election could make it harder for Pennsylvania and its counties to meet the tighter timeline. If the state can’t comply, they worry, the courts may have to get involved and force certification, providing fodder to those looking to challenge the state’s results in a year when the margin of victory is expected to be much closer than that of many midterm races.

“Because of the challenges we saw in 2022 and 2023, the concern is we’ll see a repeat,” said Kyle Miller, a policy advocate with the nonpartisan group Protect Democracy. If the petitions number in the hundreds or thousands, “that could cause delays in the courts or to certification.”