Image credit: Allison Evans Photography
It’s that time of year again, right before the holiday season. Halloween is at the end of this month, Election Day and Thanksgiving are just around the corner, and Christmas and the New Year will be here before we know it! Just after Halloween, another day that many are preparing for will occur: the municipal general election on November 2nd. Since this is an important day, we want to provide our community the information they need to register to vote on time as well as how to apply for and submit a mail-in ballot, if they wish.
In order to vote by mail, you must first be registered to vote. If you are already registered to vote, you can follow this link to apply to vote by mail. If you are not registered, you can follow this link to register to vote. At the end of the voter registration application, you will find the Annual Mail-in Ballot Application. This is where you can indicate if you would like to automatically receive annual mail-in ballot applications in the future and mail-in ballots for the year. If you do not wish to vote by mail, you should leave this area blank. Whether you are voting by mail or in person at the polls, all new voter registration applications must be submitted by October 18th and mail-in ballot applications must be received by the county office no later than 5 pm on October 26th.
After your mail-in ballot application is processed and everything is approved, you will receive mail-in ballots for every election for the remainder of the year, and on an annual basis, prior to elections, you will automatically receive an application to vote by mail. Mail-in Ballots will be mailed to your address and will come with instructions on how to fill them out correctly. You can also find instructions on how to fill out your mail-in ballots here. You will want to make sure that you follow those instructions and ensure the information you submit is correct. Your county elections board must receive completed mail-in ballots from your local county elections office or another designated location no later than 8 pm on election night, November 2nd.
We understand that not everyone has access to the internet or a computer. Therefore, we want to remind folks that you can call or visit your local elections office and request a paper application to register to vote and/or to apply for a mail-in ballot. The Elections office can mail these forms to you at your request, or you can submit the forms right there at the office instead of mailing them back. You can contact the Washington County elections office at 724-228-6750 and the Greene County elections office at 724-852-5230.
Voting is a civic duty and we encourage everyone who is eligible to participate. The power of the people is strong and can change things for the better when we all use our voices through voting. We, the people, know what is best for us. Make sure your voice is counted. Get to the polls to vote on Tuesday, November 2nd between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM. If you need to find your polling place, click here.
If you have any questions regarding voter registration or the mail-in voting process, feel free to reach out to our Field Team Coordinator, Paul, who will be happy to provide support. You can reach him by email at paul@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org or by phone at 724-229-3550 ext 8. You can read our other blogs around voter education here. Other information about voting, your voting rights, and PA elections can be found at Vote.Pa.Gov.
