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Mail-in Ballot How-to Guide

Posted Aug 19, 2020, by Paul Fedore


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How to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot:

  • If you have a valid PA Driver’s License or PennDOT ID number, you may apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot here. If you don’t have one of these forms of ID, you can print out an application for a mail-in ballot at PA Voter Services. and mail it in to your county elections office. 

    • Here is the application in pdf form if you want to print it, fill it out, and mail it or hand it in in-person: PA Application for Mail-in Ballot

    • The date is past to be able to request an application for an absentee or mail-in ballot by mail.

    • You may visit your county elections office in person and request a mail-in or absentee ballot:

      • Washington County: Courthouse Square, 100 W. Beau St., Suite 206, Washington, PA 15301

      • Greene County: Greene County Office Building, 93 East High Street, 1st Floor, Waynesburg, PA 15370

  • Here are the telephone numbers for the county elections offices:

    • Washington County – (724) 228-6750

    • Greene County – (724) 852-5230

  • You may call 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772) or email ST-voterreg@pa.gov for more information.

Deadlines and other useful information:

Last year Pennsylvania made it possible for voters to vote from the comfort of their homes by allowing all registered voters to apply for a mail-in ballot. 

The state will also be providing pre-paid postage for these mail-in ballots, which are to be returned to your county elections office.

You must be a registered voter in order to apply for a mail-in ballot. If you are mailing in or handing in a signed register-to-vote application, it must be received 15 days before the election by your county elections office. The deadline to register to vote in the November 3rd election is October 19th.

 All mail-in and absentee ballot applications must be received by your county elections office no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 27th

All in-person ballots must be cast by 8pm on November 3rd.

When applying for mail-in ballots, be sure to sign up to be a permanent mail-in voter. This will allow you to be able to vote by mail in every election moving forward.

If you voted by mail in the primary and checked the box to be a permanent mail-in voter, there will be no need to apply for a mail-in ballot for the November election. A mail-in ballot will be sent to you.

Absentee ballots require you to give a reason as to why you cannot vote in person, e.g., if you plan to be out of the municipality on election day, or you have an illness or disability that prevents you from physically attending the polls.

The USPS has been delayed due to decreased funding support from the federal government. We recommend submitting applications and completed ballots at least 10 days before the actual deadlines to ensure that slower mail does not limit your access to vote.

You can track the status of an application or ballot to see if it has been approved, or the ballot has been mailed, online at Votespa.com


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Want to vote by mail?

  • Register to vote at  Votespa.com by Oct 19th 2020

  • Apply for a mail-in ballot by 5pm Oct 27th 2020

  • Complete ballot and make sure it is received by county elections office by 8pm Nov 3rd 2020

This website explains the process well and contains links to interactive material: https://www.votespa.com/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx

If you have any questions regarding the application or the application process, you can contact your local county elections office (contact information above) or reach out to Paul Fedore at paul@coafieldjustice.org

Author

  • Paul Fedore

    Paul Fedore has been a resident of Washington County since 2016 and previously worked with Washington County United, a chapter of PA United, as a canvasser fighting for economic, environmental, and racial justice. He loves camping, hiking, fishing, and boating. Paul joined CCJ’s team in July 2020 as the Field Program Coordinator to help deepen and strengthen our relationships with communities in southwestern Pennsylvania and to ensure that people have a pathway to engage in improving their communities. As of late 2023, Paul is now a Community Organizer, and is excited to work with everyone to hold fossil fuel companies and our elected officials accountable and to organize to build power in our small towns and rural communities. Contact Paul at paul@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org.

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