Pennsylvanians who don’t want to wait until Nov. 5 or go to their assigned polling place to vote in this year’s election have options.
Voters can apply for a mail-in ballot through the mail, online or in person through Tuesday. For those requesting a ballot by mail, applications must by received by a voter’s respective county elections office by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Officials have suggested that voters should mail in their ballots at least a week before Election Day to ensure they arrive by the 8 p.m. Nov. 5 deadline.
In Westmoreland County, voters can go in person to the election bureau at the courthouse in Greensburg to apply for and cast their mail-in ballots from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays through Monday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday. This weekend, the election bureau office will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to process applications and early voting.
In Allegheny County, voters can go to the county’s Downtown Pittsburgh election kiosk at the County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., to apply for a mail-in ballot, fill it out and hand it back all in one stop. The kiosk is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
Allegheny County is operating several satellite locations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday where voters can apply for and cast mail-in ballots. In addition to the County Office Building, the locations are at the North Park Ice Rink, South Park Ice Rink and CCAC Homewood campus.
Starting Tuesday, Allegheny County also will be offering 10 ballot drop-off locations. They will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Nov. 1 and on Nov. 4 as well as from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 2 and 3.
The ballot return sites include:
• Allegheny County Emergency Services Building in Moon
• Boyce Park in Plum
• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill
• North Park Ice Rink
• South Park Ice Rink
• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in Duquesne
• Community College of Allegheny County at Homewood
• Dormont Pool
• Avalon Public Library
• County Office Building (Ross Street entrance)
For those mailing in their ballots, ballot packets include detailed instructions about how they must be submitted.
Elections officials said voters who applied for mail-in ballots can still vote in person at their assigned precincts.
They will have to turn in their unused mail-in ballot and envelope to be voided before casting their in-person vote. Those who applied for but don’t have mail-in ballots can vote in person with a provisional ballot at the polls on Election Day, officials said.
To request a mail-in ballot online, voters can go to www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/OnlineAbsenteeApplication/#/OnlineMailInBegin or their county’s elections website.
For more information, voters in Westmoreland County can go to www.westmorelandcountypa.gov/3274/Elections or call 724-830-3150.
Voters in Allegheny County can go to www.alleghenycounty.us/Government/Elections or call 412-350-4500.