The primary election is coming up in a little more than a month. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt wants to remind Pennsylvania voters that the last day to apply for mail-in or absentee votes is April 16 at 5 p.m.
Schmidt said in a press release, “Voting by mail is still a safe and secure way for Pennsylvanians to cast their ballots and make their voices heard.” “Apply today to give yourself as much time as possible to make sure your ballot gets to you on time if you want to vote by mail or need an absentee ballot.”
April 23 is the day of the primary election. One can vote in person, but some people don’t want to or can’t. There are two ways to vote by mail:
Votes sent by mail
No matter what, any registered voter in Pennsylvania can ask for a mail-in ticket. People who want to vote can either apply online or download and print an application from vote.pa.gov, which is the website of the Department of State.
Votes cast by mail
People who want to vote but can’t because they will be out of town on Election Day or because of an illness or disability can ask for an absentee ballot online.
Schmidt said that 729,354 people have already asked for mail-in or absentee votes before the April 23 primary.
Applications for mail-in ballots must be sent to the county elections board of each voter by April 16 at 5 p.m.
When voters get their mail-in ballot, they should:
Read all of the directions that came with the ballot.
Follow the directions on how to mark your choices on the ticket.
The vote should be sealed in the envelope marked “official election ballot.” Do not leave any marks on the package.
Seal the inner envelope for privacy and put it inside the outer envelope that has already been marked.
On the outer return envelope, sign the voter’s statement and write the date of today on it.
Voters can send their ballots to their county board of elections by mail or in person. The law in Pennsylvania says that a voter can only hand deliver their own ticket. People with disabilities who have written permission for someone else to send their ballot and people who need an emergency absentee ballot are the only ones who don’t have to follow this rule.
All filled-out mail votes, whether they are mail-in or absentee ballots, must be received by county election boards by 8 p.m. on April 23, Election Day. Anything sent in the mail after that time, even if it says it was dated by April 23, 8 p.m., will not count.
Tomorrow, November 8, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for people who are qualified to vote in person.