FACT: Pennsylvania law is clear: Pennsylvania's electors will be awarded to the candidate who receives the most votes. The Commonwealth can't simply ignore the popular vote and choose their own set of Presidential Electors. In fact, Legislative leaders came out swiftly to reject this myth as soon as it was printed. The Commonwealth's electors will be appointed by the Governor once the results of the popular vote are certified by the Secretary of State.

FACT: Your right to vote can only be challenged based on identity or place of residence. If someone will vouch for you, you can still vote on the machine. If not, you can still vote using a provisional ballot.

The law is designed so your vote, and the votes of eligible Pennsylvanians, will determine who wins an election.

​FACT: PA election code allows observers to witness the canvassing and that has been permitted from the start -- there have been claims in court that it wasn’t happening and a judge -- after hearing the evidence -- found that it was in fact happening and that claim was denied.

FACT: Some people were asked to leave the satellite Board of Election offices in Philadelphia. These offices are not polling places and poll watchers of any kind, from any party, are not permitted inside.

Additionally, none of the individuals asked to leave those offices in Philadelphia were certified poll watchers. You must be certified by the county in order to serve as a poll watcher. 

FACT: It's up to our election officials to protect the election — and only them. Under Pennsylvania law, private citizens aren't allowed inside or within 100 feet of polling places unless they're in line to vote and their own precinct. The law is designed so that everyone can vote free from intimidation or interference. The best to protect the election is by letting local election workers and volunteers do their job — find out if your neighborhood needs help here.

FACT: The Federal Government can't mobilize the National Guard without consent from the Governor. National Guard troops may temporarily serve on federal missions, but only while remaining under the Governor's command and control. The Governor can only call the National Guard into action for state duty during local or statewide emergencies, such as storms, fires, earthquakes or civil disturbances. Also, it is illegal for troops to be present at polling places under both Federal and Pennsylvania Law.

FACT: While Department of Justice officials may observe polling places, they are only allowed to do so to ensure compliance with federal voting laws. No other federal officials are permitted to observe the polls, and all federal officials are forbidding from being armed at the polls. 

FACT: Under Pennsylvania law, police and other law enforcement officials cannot be within 100 feet of a polling place unless they are voting, the polling place is in the same building as a police station, or they have been officially summoned to address a situation at the polls by the Judge of Elections or the Election Board.

FACT: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled that "county boards of elections are prohibited from rejecting absentee or mail-in ballots based on signature comparison conducted by county election officials or employees, or as the result of third-party challenges based on signature analysis and comparisons."

​FACT: In Pennsylvania, voters must request a mail-in ballot in order to receive one. Click here for more information on voting by mail.

FACT: Any information provided to the government in the course of voting, whether by mail or in person, cannot be used to force you to pay fines, fees, or debts. Furthermore, the people behind robocalls that spread this misinformation are currently facing criminal charges for interfering in the election.

FACT: Mail-in ballots have been counted for over a century in Pennsylvania, and this year we will count a record number of mail-in ballots. Follow the instructions and return your ballot on time — and know that you've voted with confidence. Track the status of your ballot.

FACT: The Postal Service generally delivers mail 2-5 days after it is postmarked. If you put your ballot in the mail with time to spare, you can have confidence that it will arrive on time and be counted.

You can also return your ballot in person to ensure it is received by your county before the deadline.

You can track the status of your ballot here.

FACT: This rumor was debunked by local officials, and there is no proof this happened. Reminder -- always look into the sources of breaking news/voter information on the internet. If it can't be traced back to a known, reputable source then it might not be true.

FACT: An Allegheny County mail carrier was discovered throwing away mail and charged with delay or destruction of mail by a postal employee. One application for a mail-in ballot was found among the mail he threw away. Authorities quickly became aware of the problem and took action to remedy the situation -- taking the offender into custody.

FACT: Every county in Pennsylvania coordinates sending out their mail-in ballots themselves. Some counties may send theirs out at a different time or pace than others. That doesn't mean they aren't sending them out or that they're purposefully obstructing the election process.

FACT: Mail-in ballots are sent on a rolling basis from counties at varying times. If you receive your ballot too late for you to feel comfortable mailing it in -- bring it to a drop box, county election office, or official satellite location.

If for whatever reason you don't ever receive your mail-in ballot, go to your County Board of Election office for help. You may be able to fill out a new ballot there and place it in the drop box. You can also go to your polling place on Election Day and ask for a provisional ballot.

FACT: A "naked ballot" is a ballot that is mailed back without the inner secrecy envelope.

A recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling confirmed that naked ballots will not be counted. The secrecy envelope requirement exists so who you vote for remains private, and is something 16 states across the U.S. require for mail-in ballots. There has been a large education effort on how to submit your mail-in ballot properly. 

Find step-by-step instructions about how to use both envelopes.

FACT: No. In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots are processed so that even ballots from recently deceased voters aren't counted.

FACT: The deadline to have your mail-in ballot postmarked or dropped off at a secure location remains 8pm on November 3rd. Votes mailed after that date will not be counted.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court allowed ballots postmarked for Election Day that arrive at the Board of Elections office up to three days following the election to be counted. This decision is currently being challenged in court. 

FACT: Voter fraud occurs incredibly rarely. This conclusion has been confirmed by numerous non-partisan, independent studies as well as government studies and legislative inquiries.

FACT: Voting by mail is just as secure as voting in-person.

FACT: Nine discarded ballots were discovered in Luzerne County, and local officials notified law enforcement and promptly secured them for thorough investigation. The FBI and local officials have concluded this was a one-time issue. There is still no evidence of broad-based election tampering and voters should be confident that their votes will count.

​Fact: This video is doctored and the allegation false.  The cropped video portrays an election worker, seemingly alone at a table, marking a ballot. The actual video shows the election worker at a table with other coworkers in a room full of people with bipartisan observers a few feet away at each end of the table, closely observing the worker from approximately 6 feet away. This arrangement was agreed upon between the Election Bureau and the former Republican Chairman of Delaware County Council, acting in his capacity as counsel for the Delaware County Republican Party. 

FACT: There's no proof this happened. Reminder -- always look into the sources of breaking news/voter information on the internet. If it can't be traced back to a known, reputable source then it might not be true.

FACT: This rumor was debunked by local officials, and there is no proof this happened. Reminder -- always look into the sources of breaking news/voter information on the internet. If it can't be traced back to a known, reputable source then it might not be true.

FACT: No. In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots are processed so that even ballots from recently deceased voters aren't counted.

Yes, but you should be careful to not disclose any other voter's ballot and it is recommended that you wait until after you leave the polling place to post photos of your ballot selfie.

Yes, if they help you choose who to vote for, but you cannot leave them behind.

Yes, if your ability to vote is affected by a disability, language barrier, or difficulty reading.

Anyone can help you, except for your employer, your union representative, or the Judge of Elections.

Yes, voters may wear campaign gear, but election officials and poll watchers cannot wear campaign materials at a polling site.

Yes, but there are a number of restrictions.

First, you must be permitted to open-carry firearms. These rules are subject to change, including during public emergencies.

Second, you may not bring a firearm if your polling place is in a school, courthouse, place where PA law prohibits firearms, or inside a private property that forbids them.

Lastly, it is illegal to display your firearm in a way that intimidates other voters. The law balances your right to carry a gun with the effect that carrying a weapon may have on other voters.

Only voters from the precinct and people with explicit permission to be inside a polling location can be there.

People with permission can include election officials, people lawfully providing assistance to voters, appointed overseers, constables, and poll watchers.

Law enforcement officials are only allowed inside polling places if summoned by the Judge of Elections. Campaign workers and members of the public are not permitted in the polling place.

Poll watchers may keep and inspect lists of voters, and submit "good faith" challenges with evidence to the Judge of Elections that a voter is falsifying their identity or is not a resident of the precinct. Frivolous or discriminatory challenges that interfere with the running of an election are not permitted under Pennsylvania law — e.g. a poll watcher may not challenge every likely student, or every older person. Poll watchers may not approach or speak to voters and must stay outside of the "enclosed space" where voting occurs.

​Your right to vote can only be challenged on the basis that you are falsifying your identity or are not a resident of the precinct. Challenges must be submitted directly to the Judge of Elections. Poll watchers should not address the person they are challenging.

If the Judge of Elections is satisfied with your identity or residence, you vote as normal. If they can not determine your eligibility, you can still vote in-person if another voter from the precinct signs an affidavit vouching for your identity or residence. If not, you can still vote using a provisional ballot.

If someone will vouch for your identity or place of residence, you can still vote on the machine. Even if you can't find someone to do so, you can still vote using a provisional ballot.

No. Only registered poll watchers can monitor the inside of polling locations, and members of the public must be 10ft away from the entrance and should not engage in activity that has the effect of intimidating voters

Voter fraud is when someone casts a ballot they aren't qualified to submit — that could be because they have already voted, they are pretending to be someone else, or because they are not an eligible, registered voter.

Voter fraud is extremely rare, and there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the United States. This conclusion has been confirmed by numerous non-partisan, independent studies as well as law enforcement analysis from the FBI, government studies by Secretaries of State and legislative inquiries by Republicans and Democrats.

Any activity that has the effect of disrupting voters, or interfering with any voter's right to vote, inside or outside of the polling place, may be illegal and should be reported to the Judge of Elections at your polling place and to the County Board of Elections, which you can reach by calling the Department of State's Hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).

Anyone who tries to prevent someone from voting, or to force them to vote a certain way, has committed voter intimidation. This means everything from purposefully spreading misleading information or making voters overly uncomfortable, to suggesting violence, using physical force, making threats, coercion, bribes, and more.

Someone interferes with the polls when they do anything to prevent poll workers from properly running the election — from removing or defacing official materials at a polling place to intimidation or physical violence against an election official.

We count on citizens to make reports, but please allow officials, such as the Judge of Elections at your polling place, to resolve any issues.

Learn more about your rights

You must go to your correct polling place to vote. However, if you insist you are eligible to vote at that polling place, you may vote using a provisional ballot.

Yes. If this happens, you have the right to vote using a provisional ballot.

​You can find the location of your county election office here. You can also drop off your ballot at a satellite office, which you can find here.

Your application for a mail-in or absentee ballot must be received by your county election office by 5:00pm on October 27th, 2020. Apply for an absentee ballot and get a step-by-step guide to voting by mail at VotesPA.com.

After you receive your ballot, complete it according to the instructions. Remember to put your ballot in the secrecy envelope marked "Official Election Ballot," and place that envelope inside the larger mailing envelope. You must fill out the form on the mailing envelope and sign it. 

You can then submit your ballot by:

• Mailing it. Note: Ballots must be postmarked by 8:00pm on Election Day. To ensure your vote counts, mail your ballot back as early as possible.
• Dropping it in an approved ballot drop box by 8:00pm on Election Day. Find a drop box location near you.
• Returning it in-person to your county election office by 8:00pm on Election Day. Find the location of your county election office or satellite offices to submit your ballot.
  

The smaller secrecy envelope is intended to protect the anonymity of your vote. After you fill out your ballot, you must place it in the secrecy envelope and seal it.

The second, larger envelope is the mailing and declaration envelope. You must use it, even if you are dropping your ballot off at a drop box. Place your secrecy envelope (with your ballot inside) into the mailing and declaration envelope. You must seal it and sign the declaration before you can return your ballot.

Both of these envelopes must be used in order for your vote to count. 

Find step-by-step instructions on how to use the envelopes.

If there is anything wrong with your ballot, including a missing secrecy envelope, contact your county election office so they can send you a replacement or provide other guidance on casting your ballot.

Yes, but to do so you must bring your mail-in ballot with you to be disposed of and sign a declaration that you did not submit a mail-in ballot.

Absentee ballots, submitted by mail, have been used by Pennsylvanians who are in the military, live overseas, are physically unable to come to the polls, or otherwise cannot vote in person on Election Day for over a century. The practice became widespread during the Civil War, when thousands of Pennsylvania voters cast their vote by mail.

Starting in 2020, Pennsylvania expanded the option to vote by mail to all voters.

Yes, if you vote using a mail-in ballot. Ballots begin to be mailed out a month before Election Day. You can mail it back or return it as soon as you get it.

You can also vote early in-person with a mail-in ballot at your county election office or a satellite location. At many of these locations, you can request, receive, and return your ballot at the same time until the deadline for mail ballot applications.

No, unless you have a disability that prevents you from delivering your mail ballot. If you have such a disability, you may designate an agent to deliver your ballot materials for you. You must designate the agent in writing using this form or a form provided by your county.

Ballots can't be discarded because signatures don't match. 

You can track the status of your mail-in ballot online to see when it gets received. Due to high volume, it may take a few days for your ballot to be processed.

If you don't see an updated status within 4-5 days of dropping off your ballot, or believe your ballot was lost, contact your county election office. 

You can check your voter registration status online. You can also contact your county's election and voter registration officials, or call 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).

If you are already registered to vote, you do not have to register again in Pennsylvania unless you changed your address, changed your name, or want to change your political party.

You can vote by mail or in-person. How you vote is up to you, but it's important to make a voting plan as early as possible.

To vote in-person at your polling location, you must vote between 7:00am and 8:00pm on Election Day. As long as you are in line to vote by 8:00pm, you will be allowed to vote, no matter how long it takes. Find your polling location or visit VotesPA.com for more information on voting in-person.

To vote by mail, you first need to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot. Your application must be received by your county election office by 5:00pm on Tuesday, October 27th, 2020. Apply to vote by mail and get a step-by-step guide to voting by mail at VotesPA.com.