Voting in PA this year? Here’s what you need to know

By OWEN WALSH
Posted 4/23/20

HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf recently encouraged registered Pennsylvania voters to apply for a mail-in ballot for the June 2 primary election. Because of recent updates to the …

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Voting in PA this year? Here’s what you need to know

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HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf recently encouraged registered Pennsylvania voters to apply for a mail-in ballot for the June 2 primary election. Because of recent updates to the commonwealth’s election code, voting by mail in PA is easier than it has ever been. Pennsylvanians can now vote by mail “for any reason or no reason at all.”

“There is no more important civic duty than voting, but we also want to make sure that every primary voter can cast their vote safely,” Wolf said in a press release. “This election is the first time that voters have the option to vote by mail-in ballot and I encourage every Pennsylvania voter to visit VotesPA.com to conveniently update their registration or apply for a mail-in ballot.”

This year’s primary elections were originally scheduled for April 28; because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the primary will now take place on June 2. Here’s a list of other important deadlines for PA residents to know:

  • May 18 is the deadline to register to vote in the primary, it’s also the deadline to update your registration information.
  • May 26 is the deadline to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot
  • June 2 is the deadline for your county board of elections to receive mail-in and absentee ballots (must be received by 8 p.m.)

Here's how to apply for a mail-in ballot:

  • You can apply for a mail-in ballot online at VotesPA.com/ApplyMailBallot, you’ll need a valid driver’s license to do this.
  • You can download and print out an application here, and mail the completed application to your county board of elections.
  • You can call your county board of elections and request to have an application mailed to you, fill out the application and mail it back to your county board of elections.
    • Pike County residents should call 570/296-3426 to request an application.
    • Wayne County residents should call 570/253-5978 to request an application.

Election officials have also encouraged voters who plan to vote in person to “pay special attention” to their county’s announcements regarding the relocation of polling places. Because of the pandemic, “many voters could be voting at different locations than in the past.”

Once counties have finalized their lists of polling places, residents can check their polling location here.

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pennsylvania, primary, election, mail-in, ballots, gov wolf, encourages, absentee ballots, votespa.com

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