What to do if you haven’t received your mail in ballot
This is the first election where mail-in ballots are widely available to all Pennsylvania residents. As is to be expected with any new process, there have been a few kinks. There are a number of people who have not received their ballots as of yet, and may not receive them in time to return them in time for the election – this post is written for them. The tips here are for residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The broad strokes will apply statewide, but please look to your home county for specific rules and advice.
Here are some tips on what to do if that happens:
If you requested a ballot, but did not receive it, you are still able to vote
- First, track your ballot status at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/BallotTracking.aspx or contact Allegheny County Voter Services (412) 350-4500 to see if you can get more information on the status of your ballot If you cannot get through, contact the PA Dems Voter Assistance Hotline at 1-833-PA-VOTES (1-833-728-6837).
- If you do not receive a satisfactory answer, see below on voting provisionally.
- If you decide to send in a ballot by mail, it must be received by the Allegheny County voter’s office by Election Day, June 2nd. To rephrase – the postmark doesn’t matter
Here’s what to do if you get your ballot in the next few days or haven’t mailed it in yet:
If at all possible, if you receive your ballot this week, the state & county are recommending that your ballot be dropped off in person.
Drop it off (recommended):
Ballots may not be taken to polling places on Election Day. Voters may submit their ballots directly to the Elections Division on the 6th floor of the County Office Building (542 Forbes Avenue) during regular business hours (8:30 AM to 5 PM) the remainder of this week and on Monday, June 1. In order to accommodate voters who are concerned with whether their ballot will be received in time, the Elections Division will have employees staffing a counter in the lobby for four days. The service in the lobby will be available on the following dates and hours:
Saturday, May 30 from 10 AM to 5 PM
Sunday, May 31 from 10 AM to 5 PM
Monday, June 1 from 5 PM to 8 PM
Tuesday, June 2 from 7 AM to 8 PM
Voters may only drop off their own ballot. Multiple ballots will not be accepted.
Vote provisionally:
- Please note that because of the pandemic, your regular polling place may have changed. Please look up updated polling places for your county at the following link: https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/PollingPlaceInfo.aspx or at https://alleghenydems.com/primarypolls2020
- If you don’t receive your ballot, you can still go to your polling place and vote provisionally. To do this you need to go to your polling place and indicate why you need to vote provisionally. Your provisional ballot will give you tracking information that can be searched online after the election tabulations are final and you can determine whether it was counted.
- The poll book will show workers that a mail-in or absentee ballot was applied for and the voter will be asked to vote by provisional ballot. The voted provisional ballot will be returned to the poll workers in a security envelope which will then be opened and reviewed as part of the Return Board process. If the voter’s mail-in or absentee ballot is received by the deadline, the provisional ballot would be voided and not counted. If the mail-in or absentee ballot is not received or is not received timely, the provisional ballot will be counted.
- Voters intending to vote in-person on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 are reminded that there are several changes and that the process, itself, will be slightly different due to measures in place to mitigate potential exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Polling places have been consolidated. With the exception of the City of Pittsburgh, all municipalities have one location for Election Day. A full list of those locations is available here: https://alleghenydems.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Consolidated-Polling-Place-Locations-Announced-for-June-2-Primary-Election.pdf
- Eligible registered voters should also have received a postcard in the mail with the information on the new polling location. Additionally, notices will be posted at the old polling locations on Election Day to redirect voters to the new locations.
- Inside the June 2 polling locations may be multiple sign-in tables or rooms to effect social distancing. Voters do not need to know their ward or district as poll books will be organized alphabetically to make the process easier. Locations will have poll workers to assist in directing voters to the appropriate tables or rooms.
- Poll workers will be asking voters to adhere to physical distancing guidelines by remaining six feet apart from other voters in line. Tape will be placed on the floors to reflect those distances. Voters are asked to wear face coverings and to keep them in place, covering their nose and mouth, while in the polling place. If someone comes to the polling place without one, they will be offered a mask. If voters have concerns about using pens that are also being used by other voters, they should consider bringing their own pen to the polling place. Blue ink pens are preferred, but other color inks will be read by the scanners. Polling places will also have pens available for voters.
- Be patient. Before going to the polling place, residents should verify their registration and their polling place online. As Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, only voters registered as Democrats or Republicans may vote on June 2, 2020. Voters can also view a sample ballot online at https://apps.alleghenycounty.us/website/ElectPoll2020.aspx. The Elections webpage (www.alleghenycounty.us/elections) also contains frequently asked questions and other information for voters.
Mail it in (not recommended):
- Postmark doesn’t matter – so if you can only mail your ballot in, you will be taking a risk.
For additional issues, Allegheny County Voter Services can be reached at the following number on Monday-Friday from 8 am – 4:30 pm: 412-350-4500.