From Pennsylvania Department of State
On Tuesday, May 5, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt reminded registered Pennsylvania voters planning to vote by mail ballot in the May 19 primary election that they must apply for their ballot online or in person by May 12.
“If you plan to vote by mail in the primary election, now is the time to apply online or in person so you will have enough time to receive, complete, and return your ballot to your county elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day,” Schmidt said. “You also have the option of applying for your mail ballot in person at your county elections office, completing it, and returning it all in one visit through May 12. Voters are encouraged to check their county elections office’s hours before making the trip.”
The Department of State’s Elections Data page links to a downloadable Daily Mail Ballot Report, which provides point-in-time data showing each county elections office’s statistics.
Whether voters complete their mail ballot at home or at their county elections office, they should follow these easy steps to ensure their ballot can be counted:
- Read all instructions enclosed with the ballot.
- Fill out the ballot by following the instructions on how to mark selections. Check both sides of the ballot in case there are races listed on the second page.
- Seal the ballot in the yellow secrecy envelope marked “official election ballot.”
- Seal the yellow secrecy envelope in the pre-addressed outer return envelope.
- Sign and date the outer return envelope.
- Mail or hand-deliver the completed ballot to their county elections office, or hand-deliver the ballot to an officially designated satellite office or drop box.
Under Pennsylvania law, a voter may hand-deliver only their own ballot. The only exceptions are for voters with a disability who have designated someone in writing to deliver their ballot and for voters who need an emergency absentee ballot.
County elections offices must receive all completed mail ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day, May 19. Mail ballots returned after that time, even if postmarked by 8 p.m. May 19, will not count.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day for registered voters who want to vote in person.
Voters who received a mail ballot but have not returned it may vote in person on Election Day if they bring their mail ballot materials with them to be voided.
Voters who requested a mail ballot and did not receive it, or do not have it to surrender, may vote by provisional ballot at their polling place. The provisional ballot will be reviewed by their county board of elections after Election Day to determine whether it can be counted.
Because Pennsylvania has a closed primary, only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote for their party’s nominees in the primary election. However, all voters can vote on any of the following if they also appear on their county’s ballot:
- a constitutional amendment question,
- a ballot question, or
- a special election in their district.
The Department’s voter information website, vote.pa.gov, is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese and offers a polling place locator and contact information for county elections offices. It also includes tips for first-time voters, mail-in and absentee voters, elderly and disabled voters, and members of the military.
