Harrisburg, PA – In preparation for the Nov. 7 Municipal Election, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt reminded Pennsylvania voters today that they can find comprehensive voting information at vote.pa.gov. Ensuring that our elections are conducted freely, fairly, and securely – and that every eligible voter can make their voice heard – are top priorities of the Shapiro Administration.
"I encourage all eligible voters to make their voice heard in this election," Schmidt said. "Municipal elections matter because officials who have direct impact on our daily lives – those who set property taxes, oversee schools, and make public safety and road construction decisions, for example – are on the ballot.
"Vote.pa.gov is a one-stop shop for Pennsylvanians looking for trusted, official information about elections and voting," Schmidt continued. "There, they can verify their voter registration, locate their polling place, learn how to successfully complete and return their mail ballot, and even watch a video of how to cast a ballot on their county's voting system."
Also available on vote.pa.gov are pages fully translated into Spanish and Chinese so voters who speak those languages can navigate available resources without having to maneuver through pages in English.
"These translated subsites of vote.pa.gov represent an important milestone in the Shapiro Administration's efforts to make the voting process accessible to all eligible Pennsylvania voters," Schmidt said.
Mail ballot application deadline
Schmidt also reminded voters that 5 p.m. today is the deadline to apply for a mail ballot for the Nov. 7 election. To date, more than 920,000 registered Pennsylvania voters already have applied for a no-excuse mail-in ballot, and more than 85,000 voters have applied for an absentee ballot.
Pennsylvanians voting by no-excuse mail-in or absentee ballot should return their completed ballot immediately. The deadline for county elections boards to receive completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. Nov. 7. Completed mail ballots received after that time do not count, even if they are postmarked before the deadline.
Voters can also deliver their ballot in person to their county board of elections or to a designated ballot drop box or satellite office. Voters should check vote.pa.gov to determine if their county has ballot drop-box locations and to find the hours for their county elections office.
Voters who received an absentee or mail-in ballot may vote in person on Election Day if they bring their unvoted mail ballot packet, including the outer envelope, with them to be voided. After they surrender their ballot materials and sign a declaration, they can then vote on their county's voting system.
Voters who requested a mail ballot and did not receive it or do not have it to surrender may vote by provisional ballot at their polling place. The provisional ballot will be reviewed by their county board of elections after Election Day to determine whether it can be counted.
For voters who wish to vote in person at their polling place on Election Day, polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 7.
Voters appearing at a polling place for the first time will need to show proper identification, which may be either photo or non-photo ID.
Voters may have assistance at the voting booth if they are unable to enter the booth or use the balloting system alone. The voter may choose who provides the assistance, although it may not be the voter's employer, an agent of the employer, an officer or agent of the voter's union, or the precinct's Judge of Elections.
For complete information about voting in Pennsylvania, visit vote.pa.gov. Voters can also call the Department of State's year-round election hotline, 1-800-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772), which offers interpretation services in more than 200 languages, or follow #VoteReady on social media.