Vote from home during quarantine

Correction (April 17, 2020): Due to a copy-editing error, the letter to the editor about voting by mail below wrongly stated that to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot you could “either print out the ballot and send in a hard copy, or fill it out and submit it online.” It’s the application for the ballot that can be either mailed in or submitted online. All ballots must be mailed.

To the Community,

There have been several recent Pennsylvania election reforms that help protect voter safety and expand the time to vote while the state’s stay-at-home order is in effect. If you are registered to vote in Pennsylvania, you may now vote in the primary and general elections by using a mail-in ballot, without needing an excuse, as explained below. (This is not the same as voting by absentee ballot, which does require you to provide an excuse.)

The Pennsylvania primary has been rescheduled from April 28 to June 2.. The deadline for applying for your no-excuse mail-in ballot is 5 p.m. on May 26. Then, for your vote to count, the election board must receive your completed ballot by 8 p.m. on June 2.

Important information about voting from home is available at www.votespa.com. Here’s a summary:

• Voter-registration forms are due May 18, if you plan to vote in the June 2 primary. 

• There are two options for voting if you don’t go to the polls. You can choose either a mail-in ballot or an absentee ballot. The absentee ballot requires an excuse, and the mail-in option does not. It is highly recommended that you select the no-excuse mail-in option, since this is an easy, reliable, and expedient way to have your vote counted. But remember, if you choose to vote by mail, you cannot later change your mind and vote in person. And, if you plan to vote in person in November (even if you vote by mail in June), don’t check the mail-in option for the general election — just for the primary. 

• To apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot, you may either print out the ballot and send in a hard copy, or fill it out and submit it online.

• When you start the application for a mail-in ballot, you will encounter three questions. If you respond “Yes” to any of them, you will not qualify for a mail-in ballot, though you may still qualify for an absentee ballot. The questions are:

  • Are you a military or overseas civilian absentee voter?

  • Are you applying for a ballot because you are absent from your municipality for the upcoming election? 

  • Are you applying for a ballot for the upcoming election because you have an illness or physical disability? 

Experience from other states indicates that voting by mail increases voter convenience and satisfaction, makes for shorter lines on election day, and potentially increases voter turnout. 

Mail-in ballots can also address concerns about a potential shortage of poll workers and polling-place locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mail-in ballots will help ensure a fair and accessible election during a challenging time. For further information on voting, please visit the issues tab at the League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County website, www.lwvcdc.org.

This is a critical time to vote and have your voice heard. 

Olivia Thorne, President
League of Women Voters of Delaware County

Barbara Amstutz, President
League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County