The best voter is an informed voter! Recent data showed that almost 4% of all mail-in ballots are rejected for simple errors. In response to the April 3 Daily Local News article "The electoral commission approves the satellite offices" We understand that Chester County Voter Services plans to offer a comprehensive voter education program to help every voter understand the process. The rules have recently changed and they must be followed to the letter to avoid your ballot not counting.
If you plan to vote by mail in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary, you should request your ballot online or by mail today at www.vote.pa.gov. Voters should request the ballot, complete it, place it in the secret envelope, and then seal, sign and date the outer envelope. The ballot may be rejected if the secret envelope is marked with an identifier, if the outer envelope is not signed and dated, if it is sealed with tape or if the ballot arrives voter services after 8 p.m. on election day.
Voters with a mail-in ballot who change their mind and prefer to vote in person should bring the complete mail-in ballot to their polling place, ask the Elections Judge to spoil the mail-in ballot, and vote with a mail-in ballot. vote in person.
Voters who requested but never received their mail-in ballot must vote in person with a provisional ballot. The election judge will issue the ballot and the voter must complete it, place their ballot in a secret envelope and place the secret envelope in the
Affidavit envelope. The judge and the minority inspector must sign this envelope. The voter must also completely complete all four sections of this affidavit envelope. The affidavit envelope must be sealed by the judge in front of you. Any omission to these rules will result in the rejection of the ballot. If the judge does not follow these procedures, call voter services while you are voting.
According to Pennsylvania law, voter services cannot begin the ballot counting process until 7 a.m. on Election Day. This leads to a delay in the communication of election results. The volume of ballots in the 2020 election was so large that it took Chester County two days, with officials working through the night, to get the results. Many states have provisions that allow for faster vote counting.
So what should the voter do? Voters should request their ballot now and mail it back no later than two weeks before Election Day. Closer to Election Day, the voter must use the monitored drop boxes provided by Voter Services. If the voter makes a mistake, they should call voter services at 610-344-6410 for instructions on how to correct their mistake. This may mean obtaining a new ballot or outer envelope or voting in person if time does not permit a correction. Another good resource is the Chester County Marching Forward website at www.ccmarchingforward.org.
I recommend that Chester County Election Services set up a hotline, only for voters with mail-in ballots, to answer questions to help them avoid rejection due to error. The Department of State should set up an FAQ page on its website at www.vote.pa.gov.
Voting by mail is your legal right. Voting in person is your legal right. Both methods are simple, secure, and legal for all registered Pennsylvania voters. So vote the way that works best for you. "When we all vote, we all win! "
Lani Franck Township of Willistown