Voting by Mail-in or Absentee Ballot
Mail-in and absentee ballot applications for the November 3, 2020, general election must be received by your county election office by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
What are mail ballots?
In Pennsylvania, you now have two options for mail ballots. You may either choose a mail-in ballot or an absentee ballot to request, complete, and return to your
county election office.
-
Mail-in ballot – Any qualified voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. You may simply request this ballot without a reason.
-
Absentee ballot – If you plan to be out of the municipality on election day or if you have a disability or illness, you should request this ballot type, which still requires you to list a reason for your ballot.
In order to request either ballot type, you must be registered to vote. Please visit
Check Your Registration Status to review your registration information
Which ballot should I use?
Mail-in Ballot
Who may apply for a mail-in ballot application?
You may apply for a Mail-in Ballot if you are a qualified voter. You must be
registered to vote in order to vote by mail-in ballot.
More about Mail-in Ballots
Absentee Ballot
Who may apply for an absentee ballot application?
-
College students who are not registered to vote at their school address
- People whose work or vacation take them away from the municipality where they live
- Those with a physical disability or illness that prevents them from going to the polling place
-
Members of the military
- People who may have a conflict due to the celebration of a religious holiday
- Inmates who haven't been convicted of a felony
- To vote by absentee ballot you must be
registered to vote.
More about Absentee Ballots
Voting by Mail-in Ballot
Deadlines for the November 3 General Election:
-
5 pm October 27- APPLICATIONS must be RECEIVED by your county election office
-
8 pm November 3 - VOTED BALLOTS must be RECEIVED by your county election office - postmarks are not enough
Applications and ballots may be delivered to your
county election office by the deadline. Contact your
county election office for their hours of operation.
How do I apply for a mail-in ballot?
Option 1: Apply for a Mail-in Ballot Online
Option 2: Apply for a Mail-in Ballot by mail
Step 1: Complete a paper mail-in ballot application:
Download and print a mail-in ballot application:
- You can contact your
county election office directly to request a paper application.
- Or you can contact the Department of State to request an application by emailing
ra-voterreg@pa.gov or calling
1-877-VOTESPA.
Other ways to request a mail-in ballot
If your application is accepted, you will get a mail-in ballot with instructions from your
county election office.
Already applied for a mail-in ballot?
PA voters can see the status of their mail-in or absentee ballot online. Track your ballot's progress from when your county receives your application, to when they receive your voted ballot.
What’s a permanent mail-in ballot request?
You now have the option to request to be added to the permanent mail-in ballot request list where you’ll receive an application to renew your mail-in ballot request each year. Once your application is approved, you will automatically receive ballots for the remainder of the year, and you
do not need to submit an application for each election.
Apply online for a mail-in ballot
Download and print a mail-in ballot application:
How do I vote with a mail-in ballot?
1. Mark your ballot, following the instructions.
2. Place your ballot in the secrecy envelope and then put the secrecy envelope into the official envelope. Be sure to sign the declaration, or your ballot may not count.
Voting by Absentee Ballot
Deadlines for the November 3 General Election:
-
5 pm October 27 - APPLICATIONS must be RECEIVED by your county election office
-
8 pm November 3 - VOTED BALLOTS must be RECEIVED by your county election office - postmarks are not enough
Applications and ballots may be delivered to your
county election office by the deadline. Contact your
county election office for their hours of operation.
If you have an
emergency you may still be able to get an absentee ballot after the deadline, called an
emergency absentee ballot. You can find information about how to get an emergency absentee ballot at the end of this page.
An absentee ballot is a ballot sent to you by mail. You can mark and cast the ballot by returning it to the
county election office.
How do I apply for an absentee ballot?
Option 1: Apply for an Absentee Ballot Online
Option 2: Apply for an Absentee Ballot by mail
Step 1: Complete a paper absentee ballot application:
Download and print an absentee ballot application:
- You can contact your
county election office directly to request a paper application.
- Or you can contact the Department of State to request an application by emailing
ra-voterreg@pa.gov or calling 1-877-VOTESPA.
Fill in the paper absentee ballot application. Mark the reason why you cannot get to the polling place on election day. In Pennsylvania, you must meet
one of the listed reasons.
Other ways to request an absentee ballot
If your application is accepted, you will get an absentee ballot with instructions from your
county election office.
Already applied for an absentee ballot?
PA voters can see the status of their mail-in or absentee ballot online. Track your ballot's progress from when your county receives your application, to when they receive your voted ballot.
What’s a permanent absentee ballot request?
You now have the option to request to be added to the permanent absentee ballot request list where you’ll receive an application to renew your absentee ballot request each year. This only applies if you have a permanent disability or illness when applying for this option when submitting an absentee ballot application. Once your application is approved, you will automatically receive ballots for the remainder of the year, and you
do not need to submit an application for each election.
How do I vote with an absentee ballot?
1. Mark your ballot, following the instructions.
2. Place your ballot in the secrecy envelope and then put the secrecy envelope into the official envelope. Be sure to sign the declaration, or your ballot may not count.
Emergency Absentee Ballot
Last Minute Emergencies
In emergency situations (such as an unexpected illness or disability and last-minute absence) following the deadline at 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election, you can
request an Emergency Absentee Ballot.
The deadline to submit your Emergency Absentee Ballot Application to the County Election Office is 8:00 pm on election day.
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