Pennsylvania counties are offering more opportunities for early voting

Mail ballots are now available in approximately 50 counties, giving Pennsylvania voters the opportunity to cast their vote early through the mail, in person at their county election office, or via drop box or satellite election office if available in their area.

Opportunities for early voting are increasing in Pennsylvania, with mail-in ballots now available in approximately 50 of the state’s 67 counties, over-the-counter voting in election offices, and other avenues, such as satellite election offices and drop boxes in certain counties.

In Philadelphia, where 150,000 mail-in ballots have been sent out, the city has opened eight of 10 planned satellite election offices to operate seven days a week, with more than 30 drop boxes throughout the city.

In Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh, voters can visit their local election office to cast a ballot, and beginning Oct. 15, will be able to vote at satellite locations across the county. Seven more locations are planned to open on Oct. 29.

Montgomery County, the state’s third-most populous county, has opened eight satellite election offices, with 18 drop boxes available throughout the county.

Bucks County, the state’s fourth-most populous county, has opened three satellite election offices. The county has made three drop boxes available to voters, with eight more coming on Oct. 21.

In Luzerne County, a previous decision not to deploy drop boxes was reversed after the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit against the Luzerne County Board of Elections and Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo. The county has drop boxes available in Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre.

The Department of State lists counties where ballots are available. You can check here to see if your county has satellite election offices and drop boxes.

All told, more than 1.6 million voters have applied for a mail-in ballot ahead of the Nov. 5 election, according to data from the Department of State. Of those applicants, Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than two-to-one.

Nearly 9 million Pennsylvanians have registered to vote, almost the same number as in 2020’s presidential election.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 21. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 29.

Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Click here to check your voter registration status, see who’s on your ballot, and make a voting plan.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.