“Early Voting” in Pennsylvania
There is a big push this fall across the nation for people to vote early in the midterms. In fact, Indivisible, 50501, and other organizations are working together to organize rallies on Saturday, October 17th to get people to vote early. But how does voting early work in Pennsylvania?
Technically, you can’t vote early in Pennsylvania because legally they cannot count your vote until election day. What Pennsylvania does have is a one-stop shop, where you can apply, fill out, and submit your mail-in ballot all in one location. In Pennsylvania this is called On-Demand Mail Ballot Voting. So essentially they are collecting your ballot, and holding it until election day when they will open your ballot and then run it through a voting machine. You get to vote when you want and won’t have to worry about lines at the start and end of election day.
You can do On-Demand Mail Ballot Voting at your local election office, one of their satellite offices, or at a Mobile Voter Van.
It should take about 15 minutes to do On-Demand Mail Ballot Voting once you get to the front of the line. They recommend bringing ID to make the process faster. If you don’t have ID, you will need your Driver’s License number. If you don’t have a Driver’s License, you can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.
No matter how you vote, whether it be On-Demand Mail Ballot Voting, regular Mail-in voting, or going to the polls on election day, it’s important to vote, and to vote with the planet in mind. Your Vote is Your Voice!
General Pennsylvania Voting and Election Information
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/vote
Philadelphia County On Demand Locations
https://vote.phila.gov/about-us/satellite-election-offices/
Chester County On Demand Locations
https://www.chesco.org/5241/Election-Assistance-Offices
Montgomery County On Demand Locations
https://www.montgomerycountypa.gov/departments/voter-services/about-department/office-locations-hours
Bucks County On Demand Locations
https://www.buckscounty.gov/2322/On-Demand-Voting-Locations-and-Calendars
Delaware County On Demand Location
https://www.delcopa.gov/vote/voter-service-centers