Are there any advantages to voting by mail?
Yes! There are many advantages to voting by mail:
- Skip the lines on Election Day!
- Mark your ballot in the safety, comfort, and privacy of your own home!
- Vote on your own schedule-No need to plan around work or school!
- Take the time you need to make thoughtful decisions!
- No need to worry that a change in plans will stop you from voting on Election Day!
- By checking the box to join the Annual Mail-In Request, you can sign up one time each year and automatically receive Mail-In Ballots for every election that year
Is voting by mail complicated?
Not at all-There are three easy steps:
- Request the Mail-In Ballot through the online application
- Fill out the Mail-in Ballot once it arrives in the mail
- Ballots will be sent out by the Board of Elections 3-4 weeks before the election
- Return the Mail-In Ballot by the deadline:
Bucks County Board of Elections
55 E. Court St.
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-348-6154, elections@buckscounty.org.
What are the deadlines for requesting the Mail-In Ballot and for returning the Mail-In Ballot to the Board of Elections?
The deadline to request your Mail-In Ballot is 5:00PM on the Tuesday before the election.
The deadline to return your completed Mail-In Ballot is 8:00PM on Election Day.
To be safe, we recommend sending the ballot no later than five days prior to Election Day. The deadlines refer to when the Board of Elections must receive the mailed request and/or the Mail-In Ballot NOT when they are postmarked. If you lose track of time or just simply prefer, you can personally deliver your Mail-In Ballot to the Board of Elections by the deadlines above.
When will I receive my Mail-In Ballot?
The Board of Elections will begin mailing out Mail-In Ballots to voters starting thirty days before the election.
Can I check the status of my Mail-In Ballot request?
Yes-You can use this link to see if your application was received https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/BallotTracking.aspx
What is the Annual Mail-In Request?
Signing up for the Annual Mail-In Request allows you to have a Mail-In Ballot automatically sent to the address you provide for all elections in a given year. All you have to do is check the box on the application form.
If I request a Mail-In Ballot, can I change my mind and still vote at the polls?
Yes-For elections after the June 2, 2020 Primary, (including the General Election in the fall), you have the option to bring your Mail-In Ballot to your polling place and request instead to vote in person. The Judge of Elections will then spoil your Mail-in Ballot and you will be allowed to vote using the machine at the polling place.
For the Primary election on June 2, 2020 if you do not return your ballot by the deadline, you may vote with a provisional ballot at your polling place.
I have voted using an Absentee Ballot in the past. Now that there is a new Mail-In Ballot option, should I vote by Absentee Ballot or by Mail-In Ballot?
Great news! Due to a recent update to the law (March 27, 2020) which was intended to make the vote by mail process simpler for everyone, ALL VOTERS MAY NOW USE A MAIL-IN BALLOT
That means, even if you’ve voted by Absentee in the past you may now use a Mail-In Ballot!
Why is there still an Absentee Ballot option if everyone can now use the Mail-In Ballot?
The provision for an Absentee Ballot is written into the Pennsylvania constitution, so rather than change the constitution (a daunting task), the legislature opted to simply add the Mail-In Ballot and retain the option of using an Absentee Ballot.
I’m a college student, is the vote by mail process any different for me?
No-You can follow the steps above. You just need to make sure you request to have the ballot delivered to the address where you can retrieve it in order to fill it out and return it. You can expect the Mail-In Ballot to arrive three or four weeks before the election.
I provided the wrong mailing address or no longer will be at the address that I provided when I requested my Mail-In Ballot, what should I do?
Don’t worry-you can update the mailing address provided when you requested your Mail-In Ballot, contact the Bucks County Board of Elections: 215-348-6154, elections@buckscounty.org.
What if I make a mistake when completing my ballot, or damage or misplace it?
No problem-You can request another ballot from the Bucks County Board of Elections: 215-348-6154, elections@buckscounty.org.
I still have more questions. Who can I talk to?
The Pa Dems have set up a hotline you can call with any questions. The team is fluent in Spanish and very responsive. They are also prepared to forward anyone who needs additional attention to our team at the BCDC.
PA Dems Voter Assistance Hotline
1-833-PAVOTES (1-833-728-6837)
