PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Tuesday, Oct. 27, is the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot for the general election in Pennsylvania. All applications must be submitted online or in a county’s voter services office by 5 p.m. Elections officials say it does not matter if people are in line at the deadline, the application needs to be in the office before 5 p.m.
State officials are urging people who haven’t mailed their completed ballot by now to consider delivering it in person.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf says, no matter how you plan to vote, now’s the time to make a plan.
“If you’re voting by mail-in ballot, get out today. Return it in person," Wolf said. "If you’re voting at the polls, make a plan now to make sure you’re there on Nov. 3. Either way your vote really matters.”
Both Wolf and Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar say, if you haven’t mailed your ballot already, you may want to consider hand-delivering it to a ballot drop box or your county’s voter services office.
In a 4-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court said ballots mailed in Pennsylvania can be counted as long as they arrive by 5 p.m. on the Friday after Election Day. Another challenge to that rule has been filed with the Supreme Court. It’s unclear what will happen now that Justice Amy Coney Barrett has been seated on the Court.
However, Boockvar says voters should not be concerned about court challenges. If they’re returning a mail-in ballot, she says, make sure it’s turnd in by 8 p.m. on Election Day.