The deadline to apply for a mail ballot to vote in Pennsylvania’s primary election is May 12.
As of April 29, nearly 800,000 Pennsylvania voters had already requested a mail ballot to vote in the May 19 primary election, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. And while Republicans have started to warm to the method criticized heavily by President Donald Trump, mail voting still remains more popular among Democrats.
Democrats had applied for more than 574,000 mail ballots to Republicans’ nearly 214,000. More than 8,500 voters registered outside the two major parties had applied for a mail ballot.
“Voting by mail is a popular, safe and secure option for Pennsylvanians to cast their ballots and make their voices heard,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said in a statement. “Eligible Pennsylvanians who prefer to vote by mail should apply today to ensure they have time to receive, mark, and return their ballot.”
Mail ballot applications must be received by a voter’s county elections board by 5 p.m. May 12.
How to handle a Pennsylvania mail ballot
Upon receiving their mail ballot, voters should
- carefully read all instructions enclosed with the ballot;
- fill out the ballot by following the instructions on how to mark candidate selections;
- seal the ballot in the yellow secrecy envelope marked “official election ballot”;
- seal the yellow secrecy envelope in the outer return envelope, and
- sign and date the outer return envelope.
Completed mail ballots must be received by a voter’s county elections office by 8 p.m. May 19, the date of the primary. Post markings do not count, meaning mail ballots received after that time cannot be counted. Some counties provide drop boxes or other drop-off sites for mail ballots.
Pennsylvania voters can also request their mail ballot, complete it and return it in one visit to their county elections office until close of business May 12. Voters should check their county elections office’s hours and mail ballot availability before making the trip.
Voters who received an absentee or mail-in ballot may vote in person on Election Day if they bring their mail ballot materials with them to be surrendered.
Voters who requested a mail ballot and did not receive it or do not have it to surrender that day may vote by provisional ballot at their polling place.
Who can vote in the Pennsylvania primary?
Because Pennsylvania has a closed primary, only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote for their party’s nominees in the primary election. However, all voters can vote on any of the following if they also appear on their county’s ballot:
- a constitutional amendment question,
- a ballot question, or
- a special election in their district.
