PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot was Tuesday. If you haven’t returned it yet, don’t use regular mail services.
“At this point, we are not recommending anybody put their ballots in the mail,” said Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar.
She recommends voters use a mail-in ballot drop-box or return their ballots directly to their county voter services office.
If you can’t deliver it in person and must mail it, send it as priority mail.
“Make sure you have all the envelopes, all the signatures, everything done,” Boockvar said, including the privacy envelope and the outer one that needs to be signed and dated.
County elections officials have said for months that the deadline to request a mail-in ballot a week before the election is unrealistic. Boockvar said there are things they’ll review, but that’s why she prefers a postmark deadline rather than delivery-by-Election Day deadline.
“Because really we want no voter to be disenfranchised through no fault of their own, and mail delays happen even in normal times,” she said.
As coronavirus cases climb across the state, Boockvar said there’s also an emergency absentee ballot option, in case someone has to quarantine or tests positive between now and the election.
At this point, Boockvar said it appears all in-person polling places are staffed and ready to go as planned.