Friday, September 3, 2010
Absentee Ballots
How to Apply
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*COMPLETE AN ABSENTEE BALLOT application and submit it to your county board of elections.
To obtain an absentee ballot application, print out this form, complete it, sign it and mail or return it to your county voter registration office. All applications must be postmarked by TUESDAY, APRIL 15.
*ABSENTEE VOTERS in military service may obtain an absentee ballot application by applying on any form supplied by the federal government or by using the state official absentee ballot application. An application may be submitted by the elector in military service or an adult member of his/her immediate family. *IF YOU ARE VOTING in the election district for the first time by absentee ballot, you will be asked to submit a copy of an approved form of identification along with application: 1. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION (MUST BE VALID):
2. NON-PHOTO IDENTIFICATION (Must include your name and address):
NOTE: A military voter who is home on Election Day and who has not voted an absentee ballot may, if registered, appear at his/her election district polling place and vote. In the event that a military elector is not registered to vote, he/she may apply in person and vote at the office of the county board of elections. |
Requirements to vote by absentee ballot
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1. A person who, because of his/her duties, occupation or business (including leaves of absence for teaching, vacations, and sabbatical leaves), expects to be absent from his/her municipality of residence during the entire period the polls are open for voting, and his/her spouse and dependents of such electors who are residing with or accompanying them and for that reason also expect to be absent form his/her municipality during the time the polls are open.
2. A person who, because of illness or physical disability, is unable to attend his/her polling place or to operate a voting machine and obtain assistance by distinct and audible statements. (Note: A disabled elector may be placed on a permanently disabled absentee ballot list file). 3. A county employee who expects the his/her Election Day duties relating to the conduct of the election will prevent the employee from voting. 4. A person who will not attend a polling place on Election Day because of the observance of a religious holiday. 5. Members of the armed forces, regardless of whether at the time of voting they are in the election district of residence or in the Commonwealth and regardless of whether they are registered to vote. 6. A spouse or dependent residing with or accompanying a member of the armed forces who expects to be absent from his/her municipality of residence during the entire period in which the polling places are open for voting may register to vote at the time of voting the absentee ballot. 7. A member of the Merchant Marine, and his/her spouse and dependents residing with him/her who expect to be absent from the municipality of residency during the entire period in which the polling places are open for voting may register to vote at the time of voting the absentee ballot. 8. A member of a religious or welfare group attached to and serving with the armed forces, and his/her spouse and dependents residing with or accompanying him/her, who expect to be absent from the municipality if residence during the entire period in which the polling places are open for voting may register to vote at the time of voting the absentee ballot. 9. A qualified war veteran elector who is bedridden or hospitalized due to illness or physical disability regardless of whether he/she is registered to vote if absent from the municipality of residence and unable to attend his/her polling place because of such illness or disability, regardless of whether the elector is registered to vote. 10. A spouse or dependent accompanying a person employed by the Commonwealth or the Federal government, in the event that the employee's duties, occupation or business on Election Day require him/her to be absent from the municipality of residence during the entire period the polls are open for voting may register to vote at the time of voting the absentee ballot. |
Applying for emergency absentee ballots
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* If an emergency arises after the deadline to apply for the absentee ballot (5 p.m. Tuesday, April 15), an emergency absentee ballot application must be completed, signed and mailed or returned to the county board of elections. An emergency would include such things as becoming sick or disabled or an unforeseen business trip.
The county board of elections will process and approve only those emergency absentee ballot applications that have been completed and signed by the voter before a notary public. To obtain an emergency absentee ballot, click here The deadline to apply by emergency application is 5 P.M. ON FRIDAY, APRIL 18. |
Deadline to return voted absentee ballot
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5 P.M. FRIDAY, APRIL 18
NOTE: Unless a voter is disabled and needs assistance to deliver an absentee ballot to the county board of elections, it is illegal under Pennsylvania law for anyone other then the voter to hand-deliver an absentee ballot to the county board of elections. Delivery of absentee ballots cast by voters who are not disabled may be delivered only by the U.S. mail or by the voter in person. |
Emergencies after 5 P.M. APRIL 18
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* If you become physically disabled or ill between 5 p.m. on Friday, April 18 and 8 p.m. on Election Day, or if you find out after 5 p.m. on Friday, April 18 that you will be absent from your municipality of residence on Election Day because of your business, duties or occupation,
you can receive an emergency absentee ballot if you complete and file with the court of common pleas in the county where you are registered to vote an emergency application or a letter or other signed document,
which includes the same information as that provided on the emergency application.
To obtain a copy of the application, click here. If you are not able to appear in court to receive the ballot, you can designate, in writing, a representative to deliver the absentee ballot to you and return your completed absentee ballot to the county board of elections. If you are not able to appear in court or obtain assistance from an authorized representative, the judge will direct a deputy sheriff of the county to deliver the absentee ballot to you if you are at a physical location within the county. IMPORTANT NOTICE: To designate an authorized representative to deliver your emergency absentee ballot, you must complete and sign the Authorized Representative Form, and the authorized representative must complete and sign the Certification of Authorized Representative. Emergency absentee ballot applications from voters who experience an emergency after 5 p.m. Friday, April 18, must be submitted to the court of common pleas no later than 8 P.M. ON ELECTION DAY. |
Military Absentee Ballots
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NOTE: Absentee electors in military service are not required to be registered to vote.
Absentee electors in military service may obtain an absentee ballot by: 1. Filing an Official Military Application Form (Federal Form No. 76), distributed by the U.S. Department of Defense. 2. Filing any other official absentee ballot application form to request an absentee ballot.
Completed absentee ballot applications must be received by the county board of elections no later than 5 P.M. FRIDAY, APRIL 18 For more information, read this letter from Major General Jessica L. Wright, adjutant general, and Pedro A. Cortés, secretary of the Commonwealth. |
Special Write-In Absentee Ballots
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Ordinarily an absentee elector will vote on an official absentee ballot printed by the county board of elections that appears substantially the same as the ballots or ballot labels that will be used on Election Day at the polling places.
However, absentee military electors and civilian absentee voters who are outside the United States on Election Day might receive a special write-in absentee ballot.
Elections officials use these special write-in ballots when they are required by law to deliver absentee ballots to these absentee voters, but official absentee ballots have not yet been printed.
The special write-in ballot includes all of the offices and questions that will appear on the official ballots for the electors election district, but not the names of the candidates for the offices. Instead, elections officials will provide to the voter a separate list that will include the names of all of the candidates who have filed petitions or papers seeking to appear on the official ballot and who have not withdrawn or had their names removed from the ballot by a court. A special write-in absentee ballot returned to the county board of elections will be handled and counted in the same manner as an absentee ballot cast on an official absentee ballot. |
Voter Guide
Voter Links
Voting News
- Judge rules in ACORN, voter attire cases - 10/30/2008
- Judge weighs paper-ballot option for Pa. - 10/28/2008
- Judge to consider voter T-shirts, buttons at polling places - 10/28/2008
- Pa. Dems head into election with 1.24M voter edge - 10/28/2008
- Pa.'s absentee ballot application deadline nears - 10/24/2008
- Groups file suit to ensure paper ballots are on hand in Pa. - 10/24/2008
- Voter registration irregularities reach county - 10/19/2008
- Pa. voter registration continues to rise - 10/13/2008
- Pittsburgh-area DA probing ACORN voter sign-ups (updated) - 10/10/2008
- Balloting bottlenecks: Will Pa. voters face long lines on Election Day? - 10/9/2008
- Pennsylvania voter registration hits 8.6 million - 10/8/2008
- County voter office jumping on deadline day - 10/7/2008
- Unregistered local voters must submit application to voter registration office - 10/3/2008
- NAACP plans lawsuit against elections board over polling site - 10/2/2008
- Pa. counties expect more voters, order machines - 9/24/2008
- Voter relief pitched to county board - 9/24/2008
- Officials OK move for APCP poll site - 9/18/2008
- New tools for Pa. military and overseas voters - 9/15/2008
- 300,000 N.J. voters told they're not registered - 9/9/2008
- Pa. elections office: Buttons, T-shirts OK at poll - 9/8/2008
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News
Calendar
Homes
Autos
Jobs
Classifieds
AP Delegate Count
Democrats need 2,025 to win.
Latest Polls
Primaries
General Election
- McCain vs. Clinton: National | Pennsylvania
- McCain vs. Obama: National | Pennsylvania
Campaign Contributions
Click here to keep track of who is contributing to the presidential candidates with the Federal Election Commission's Database.
Election Deadlines
|
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