Dauphin County expands ballot drop boxes, accessibility after Democrats flip county commission

Dauphin County will add 5 ballot drop boxes for the upcoming primary election. The county is expanding efforts for higher turnout in the Spanish, Bhutanese and Nepalese communities. 

Dauphin County announced on Wednesday that they are expanding the number of ballot drop boxes located throughout the county from two to seven for the upcoming 2024 primary election. 

Democrats were able to add the additional five drop boxes after flipping the Dauphin County Commissioners office for the first time in over 100 years when Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Chad Saylor. 

Douglas was elected by running a low-budget campaign and focused on expanding voting access and reforming Dauphin County’s prison. 

“I’m committed to safe, secure, fair and accessible elections, and the accessible part tends to be the part that a lot of people don’t reference when they reference the safe, secure and fair elections,” Douglas said in an interview. 

Expanding ballot drop boxes wasn’t the only changes Dauphin County officials made for the upcoming election. 

The county has printed Spanish sample ballots so Spanish-speaking residents can pick up a sample ballot and use that as a guide when they’re completing their mail-in ballots or for when they are voting in person. 

Douglas explained that the county is looking to do the same in the general election for the tens of thousands of Nepalese and Bhutanese residents who call Dauphin County home. 

“Language access is another part of access. Ensuring that voters have an opportunity to understand the ballot and read it in a language that might be their first language,” Douglas said.

Four of the five new ballot drop boxes will be located at local magistrate offices while the fifth drop box will be located at Dauphin County’s Bureau of Registration and Elections office.

The location and hours for all seven ballot drop boxes are:

• Dauphin County Administration Building
  • 2 S 2nd St, Harrisburg, PA 17101
  • Hours: 24/7
• Northern Dauphin Human Services Center (box located inside building)
  • 295 State Dr., Elizabethville, PA 17203
  • Hours: M-F, 8:00AM-4:30PM
• Dauphin County Bureau of Registration and Elections
  • 1251 S 28th St, Harrisburg, PA 17111
  • Hours: 24/7
• District Court 12.1.01 (The Honorable Marian Urrutia)

• • 2125 Paxton Church Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17110
  • Hours: 24/7 

• District Court 12.3.04 (The Honorable Dominic A. Pelino)
  • 576 E Main St, Hummelstown, PA 17036
  • Hours: 24/7
• District Court 12.3.05 (The Honorable Dale Klein)
  • 8010 Bretz Dr, Harrisburg, PA 17112
  • Hours: 24/7
• District Court 12.1.06 (The Honorable Wendy J. F. Grella, Esq.)
  • 5925 Locust Ln, Harrisburg, PA 17109
  • Hours: 24/7