Voting in person or by mail in Pennsylvania? Here's what you need to know
With the presidential election just a few weeks away, it's time to start thinking about whether you are going to cast your ballot in person or through the mail.
While absentee ballots have been cast in this state since the Civil War, the no-excuse mail-in ballot is a new option this year. Approximately 1.8 million people applied to vote that way in the primary, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Bucks and Montgomery counties both are expecting more than 200,000 mail-in and absentee ballots to be cast, and have hired additional personnel to accommodate the demand.
What's the difference between mail-in and absentee ballots? No excuse is needed for a mail-in ballot while an absentee requires a specific reason, such as an illness, disability or being out-of-town on election day. The deadline to apply for either one is 5 p.m. Oct. 27.
If you are heading to the polls on election day, Nov. 3, they will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Here's what you need to know before you cast your vote.\
Can I submit a voter registration application I received in the mail?
Many likely have received at least one voter registration application in their mailbox recently. They are being sent by outside organizations.
While the Pennsylvania Department of State supports any efforts to encourage participation in the election, said Wanda Murren, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of State, it prefers that voters fill out the online ballot application at www.votespa.com.
Here's why: It's faster and more secure.
The online application will be sent directly to the county elections office and eliminates mailing time, she said. It also saves time for the employees processing them.
Not sure if you are already registered to vote? You can check at votespa.com.
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Where can I apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot?
Apply online at VotesPA.com/ApplyMailBallot, or request an application by mail by contacting the Department of State at ra-voterreg@pa.gov or 1-877-VOTESPA. You can also contact or visit your county election office.
You'll need a valid Pennsylvania driver's license or other Department of Transportation-issued ID.
I voted by mail in the primary. Do I have to apply again?
Thanks to Act 77, any registered Pennsylvania voter can request mail-in ballot, without a reason. Act 77 also allows voters to permanently request a mail-in ballot, but it's not automatic. Some voters may have chosen that option and forgotten.
Before applying, check your status at pavoterservices.pa.gov.
What's the deadline to apply?
Applications must be received by the county election office by 5 p.m. Oct. 27, one week before the election.
However, the U.S. Postal Service has warned it may not be able to deliver applications on time. If you're applying by mail and want to ensure your application gets processed, send it prior to Oct. 19.
A recent state Supreme Court ruling allows counties to accept ballots by 5 p.m. Nov. 6 that have been postmarked by Nov. 3.
More:5 percent of Pennsylvania mail-in ballots could be rejected
How do I know if my application was approved?
Check your status at pavoterservices.pa.gov.
If your application was denied, it means one of three things: You are not registered to vote (the deadline for that is Oct. 19); the address you provided does not match your registered address; or you've already applied and been approved for a ballot.
I applied for a ballot but then got another application in the mail. What should I do?
To encourage voting by mail, some organizations have been mailing applications to voters. That could confuse things as well as add unnecessary work for county election officials who are processing the applications.
If you received an application in the mail but had already applied, check the status at pavoterservices.pa.gov.
More:Bucks election board: Apply only once for mail-in ballot
When will I get my ballot?
Ballots will be mailed starting in late September. In addition, ballots on demand will be available at county election offices once they are finalized.
When can I vote?
State law currently requires mail-in ballots to be received by the county board of elections NO LATER THAN 8 p.m. on Election Day. That means, if you're voting by mail, you should send it in as soon as you can.
In Bucks County, voters can drop off completed ballots at three locations starting Oct. 5 and leading up to Election Day:
- Upper Bucks Government Services Center, 261 California Road, Quakertown
- Bucks County Administration Building, 55 E. Court Street, Doylestown
- Lower Bucks Government Services Center, 7321 New Falls Road, Levittown
Ballot boxes will be indoors and guarded by either Bucks County sheriff's officers or county security. Voters can access them during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, leading up to the week before the election, when those hours will be extended to 7 p.m. weekdays, and noon-5 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
The boxes also will be available on election day during the same hours the polls are open, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
In Montgomery County:
- Cheltenham, Wall Park, 1 Wall Park Drive, Elkins Park
- Conshohocken, To Be Determined
- Lansdale, Church Road Parking Lot, 226 Station Square Blvd, Lansdale
- Lower Merion, Ludington Library, 5 S Bryn Mawr Ave, Bryn Mawr
- Norristown, Montgomery County Airy St Parking Lot, Corner of DeKalb & Airy Streets
- Pottstown, Montgomery County Community College - West Campus (Hanover St Building), 95 S Hanover St.
- Royersford, Borough Parking Lot #1A, 300 Main St.
- Skippack Municipal Building, 4089 Heckler Road
- Upper Dublin Municipal Building, 801 Loch Alsh Ave.
- Upper Frederick, Green Lane Park, 2144 Snyder Road
- Upper Moreland, Willow Grove YMCA, 3300 Davisville Road
Hours are: From Oct. 3 to Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. On Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, hours will be extended from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Nov. 2 and 3, hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Ballots will prepared for processing starting three days prior to the election, but will not be counted until after polls closed.
Votes will NOT be accepted by email.
Can I deliver mail-in ballots for my family or neighbors?
No. In Pennsylvania, you can only deliver your own ballot, Department of State Secretary Kathy Boockvar said during a recent news conference.
Ballots can be dropped off at local election offices or designated drop boxes.
The only exception is for voters with disabilities or emergency absentee ballots, which can be used if you are in the hospital, for example. Then an agent can be appointed to handle your ballot.
I didn't get my ballot by Election Day. What next?
Go to your polling place. Poll books will be marked if a ballot has been sent to you. If you show up at the polls, you will receive a provisional ballot.
During the canvassing process, elections staff will check to see if you returned the mail-in ballot, Pennsylvania Department of State spokeswoman Wanda Murren said. If you did, that one will count. The provisional ballot will not.
What if I change my mind and want to vote in person?
Bring your mail-in or absentee ballot and the envelope to your polling place and you will be allowed to vote. If you do not bring your mail-in or absentee ballot, you can still vote via provisional ballot.
Why did a deceased loved one receive a voter registration application?
Sometimes outside organizations and political parties use voter rolls that are several years old, said Murren.
Under state and federal law, counties are required maintain the integrity of voter lists. That's handled a variety of ways. For example, the offices receive death notices twice a month from the state Department of Health. They also use the National Change of Address lists and are part of the Electronic Registration Information Center, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to improve the accuracy of voter rolls and increase access to voter registration.
How will the state prevent the casting of multiple ballots?
Only one active ballot can be entered for a voter into the statewide voter-registration system, Murren said.
So when a voter applies for an absentee or mail-in ballot and is approved by the local election office, that information is entered into the system, Murren said. When the ballot is mailed to the voter, that goes into the system, too.
The poll books are generated using data in the statewide system, and they clearly indicate who has applied to vote through the mail. In fact, they also include a separate section of voters who have already cast their ballot.
Voters who cast their ballots in the mail cannot go to the polls on election day.
If they do, they will receive a provisional ballot, which will not be counted if one cast through the mail is confirmed, Murren said.
What if I mail my ballot in, but then die before election day?
It doesn't count, Murren said.
If a voter dies before the opening of the polls on election day, the ballot will be rejected during the canvassing process.
Will polls be consolidated for the Nov. 3 election?
No, the state is expecting to have the normal number — or close to it — of polling places, Murren said.
The consolidation of the polls only was allowed for the June 2 primary.
That doesn't mean polling places won't change, so check with your county board of election to make sure.
More:Voting in Bucks County: Board of Elections makes polling place changes in 7 towns
Will I be required to wear a mask at the polls?
"We strongly encourage voters to wear masks out of consideration for poll workers and their fellow voters," Murren wrote in the email. "Anyone without a mask will not be denied their right to vote."
What safety precautions will be taken at the polls?
The state is helping counties acquire stocks of masks, hand sanitizer, floor-marking tape, plastic sneeze guards and other protective equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic, Murren said. The state helped with that during the primary, too.
Need to know more?
Visit the Bucks County Election website at buckscounty.org. In Montgomery County, visit montcopa.org/753/Voter-Services.