Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt reminded voters, in his eighth and final pre-election virtual media briefing, that the deadline to apply for a mail ballot for the Nov. 3 election is 5 p.m. today.
"Voters can apply online at vote.pa.gov,” Sec. Schmidt said. “As soon as they receive their mail ballot, they should complete it and return it to their county elections office immediately.”
They can drop it off at their county elections office or at an authorized drop box if their county has one. Mail ballots must be received at county elections offices by 8 p.m. Election Day for them to count.
Sec. Schmidt also noted that after polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, unofficial results from the Commonwealth’s 67 counties will be posted, as they become available, on the Department of State’s election night returns site. That site provides totals and county-by-county breakdowns for statewide contests.
“I want to remind everyone that carefully counting ballots takes time, and county elections officials rightly prioritize accuracy over speed,” Sec. Schmidt said. “If a race is close, it may take more time to determine who the winner is as provisional ballots and military and overseas civilian absentee ballots are counted after Election Day. So, I ask everyone to be patient as the process unfolds.”
The Department’s voter information website, vote.pa.gov, is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese and offers a polling place locator and contact information for county elections offices. It also includes tips for first-time voters, mail-in and absentee voters, elderly and disabled voters, and members of the military.