State legislators are considering a bill that could prevent election day in November from being the disaster some expect it to be.

Lawmakers are reviewing legislation to allow mail-in ballots to be counted before 7 a.m. Election Day, rather than spend days afterward tallying them.

Considering this is a presidential election year that includes a pandemic and disastrous primary elections with poll worker shortages in which voters waited in line for hours — especially in states like Georgia, Wisconsin and Nevada — the Nov. 3 election is potentially a recipe for disaster.

Pennsylvania had its own issues during the primary earlier this month. Tens of thousands of voters statewide applied for mail-in ballots leading right up to the deadline, and there was concern as to whether they would receive them in time.

Butler County received requests for about 25,000 mail-in ballots. In Allegheny County, nearly one in three voters requested a mail-in ballot, according to a study by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

In Butler County’s most highly contested primary race as well as one of its closest — state Sen. Marci Mustello, R-11th, versus Republican challenger Ryan Covert — the clear winner of the race wasn’t apparent until mail-in ballots were counted late that evening.

With that in mind, counting the mail-in ballots early could be a good idea.

With the coronavirus pandemic still raging — and predicted to possibly come back stronger this fall — it’s unclear how many voters will feel safe to leave their homes, stand in line and vote in person.

There’s a great chance that more will opt to vote from the safety of their homes. On top of that, the presence of COVID-19 is expected to result in fewer polling stations, which could lead to massive lines at ones in operation.

A Gallup poll last month found that 64 percent of Americans favored voting by mail this November. As a result, the number of mail-in ballots being sent in this year will likely be exponentially higher.

Couple all that with the fact that presidential elections drive the highest turnout — and this year’s contentious presidential race is sure to draw record numbers — which, in turn, can lead to more confusion and longer delays.

State legislators are weighing the counting of mail-in ballots early because there is concern about the length of time it will take to report election returns.

Their concerns are well founded. We urge legislators to review this proposal and make an informed choice.