Vote-By-Mail FAQs
Why should I vote by mail?
Mail-in voters and the candidates they support have a significant advantage every election over those who vote in person. By receiving their ballot ahead of time with ~one month flexibility to return the ballot, mail-in voters essentially have 30 “election days” to cast their vote whereas traditional voters only have one.
Thus, turnout increases exponentially and elections are won.
If you aren’t 100% sure you will make it out during the 13 hour time frame on Election Day, bank your vote and apply for a mail-in ballot. You can always change your mind and vote in person.
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Yes! If you requested a mail-in ballot, but you would rather vote in person on Election Day, don’t worry!
BRING YOUR BALLOT AND SECRECY ENVELOPE TO THE POLLS
Once you are there, simply hand the mail-in ballot to an election official for spoiling, and proceed to fill out the ballot that is handed to you at your polling location.
Note: If you do not bring the blank ballot with you on Election Day, you will be denied the right to vote in person.
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The PA Voter Services website offers an online portal that you can use to track the status of your mail-in ballot, from application to return.
To track your ballot, go to this link: https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/ballottracking.aspx
Alternatively, we recommend reaching out to the county Election Bureau for the fastest update on your ballot. You can reach the elections office by calling (610) 891-4673 from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Monday-Friday.
You can also call our Delco GOP office to check the status of your ballot after it has been cast.
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Once you have completed your mail-in ballot, you can turn it in a few different ways. You can mail back the ballot to the Election Bureau. Postage is not required to mail back a ballot. You can also drop off your ballot at any of the drop boxes around Delaware County.
Mail-in ballots must be received by the Election Bureau by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day for your vote to count.
You can find the closest dropbox to you at this link: https://delcopa.gov/vote/ballotdropbox.html
Note: Once you fill out or send back a mail-in ballot, you cannot opt for a provisional ballot on Election Day, so be absolutely certain that you complete your ballot soon enough so it can be received and processed by the Election Bureau for your vote to count!
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The Election Bureau handles mail-in ballot requests.
If you have completed your application for a mail-in ballot and have not received one yet, you should contact the Election Bureau and ensure that your application was processed and approved.
The phone number for the Election Bureau is (610) 891-4673
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If your mail-in ballot was turned in before the deadline, but you did not receive confirmation that it was processed, you are still able to vote in person on Election Day at your assigned polling location.
Once you are at your polling location, you will have to complete a series of steps:
Complete the sections on the provisional envelope labeled Voter Information, Voter Affidavit for Provisional Ballot, and Current Address in front of election officials.
Mark your provisional ballot in an accessible and private area of the polling place.
Seal your provisional ballot in the secrecy envelope.
Seal the secrecy envelope in the provisional ballot affidavit envelope.
Fill out the Voter Signature section on the provisional ballot envelope in front of polling place election officials.
Return the sealed provisional ballot affidavit envelope to a polling place election official.
Receive your provisional ballot identification receipt.
Provisional ballots are counted within 7 days of the election. Once election officials receive your provisional ballot, they will determine whether or not it is eligible.
If your ballot is deemed eligible, your vote will be counted.
If your ballot is deemed ineligible, your vote will not be counted.
You can visit this link to see why your ballot was deemed ineligible: https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/ProvisionalBallotSearch.aspx