The June 2 primary election will be the first election in which most Pennsylvania voters can vote by mail-in ballot, and Gov. Tom Wolf is encouraging voters to exercise that option to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In an April 22 press release, the governor announced that the Department of State has launched an awareness campaign focused on informing Pennsylvanians of the new election date, as well as how to apply for a mail-in ballot.
The application for a mail-in or absentee ballot can be found at VotesPA.com. The site also includes information about the difference between mail-in and absentee ballots, and how to determine which ballot to apply for.
The deadline to apply is May 26 at 5 p.m. Pennsylvanians have until May 18 to register to vote or to update their voter registration. On primary election day, voters will have until 8 p.m. to return their ballot.
The Department of State will be mailing 4.2 million postcards to primary voters as part of its awareness campaign about voting by mail. The postcards include important deadlines and other information on how to vote by mail, and the campaign includes informational messages on radio, television, social media platforms, streaming services and mobile apps. The department will also be reaching out to stakeholders to help spread the word.
Wolf’s administration will be providing counties with funding to send mailings to voters, purchase equipment and protective supplies, promote and facilitate mail-in voting, increase needed staffing and take other measures to improve voting safety and security.
Because in-person polling locations will still be available, the administration will also be purchasing infection-protection kits for all counties to provide their poll workers to help them maintain their safety and health on voting day. The kits will include masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, floor marking tape and other sanitizing supplies.
Even so, some parts of the state are reportedly struggling to find enough poll workers to man voting precincts due to the pandemic. At a Berks County commissioners meeting Thursday, one of the commissioners reported that a significant number of the county’s poll workers have said they do not plan to work on primary election day.
“There is no more important civic duty than voting, but we also want to make sure that every primary voter can cast their vote safely,” Wolf said in the news release. “This election is the first time that voters have the option to vote by mail-in ballot and I encourage every Pennsylvania voter to visit votespa.com to conveniently update their registration or apply for a mail-in ballot.”
So far more than 500,000 voters have taken the governor’s suggestion and applied for a mail-in or absentee ballot.
The commonwealth was already preparing for an increase in mail-in and absentee ballot votes following the passage of Act 77 of 2019, which gives voters the option to use a mail-in ballot with no excuse needed. The act also extends the deadlines for voter registration, and returning mail and absentee ballots.
On March 27, 2020, Wolf signed Act 12 of 2020, which rescheduled the primary election date from April 28 to June 2 and made other changes for voters and county election officials.
The Department of State has a way for voters to track the status of their mail-in ballot application, state Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-18) said in an April 21 newsletter.
While some voters may be concerned about the security of a mail-in ballot, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said voting by mail will not increase the chances for voter fraud.
“I would prefer that people vote by mail this year,” said Boockvar, who oversees Pennsylvania elections. “For this time period because again you’ve got the safety built in. You can do it on your schedule from the security and comfort of your home.”
For more information about voting by mail and the primary election, visit PA.gov.
An infographic from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania promotes voting by mail in the June 2 primary election.
