While Pennsylvania does not allow early voting as it exists in some other states, voters do have an opportunity between now and Oct. 27 to cast ballots in-person before election day.
According to the state’s top election official, the process is something he fields “a lot of questions about.”
“When you hear about early voting in Pennsylvania, or on-demand voting, or over-the-counter voting or anything like that, what they mean is voting by mail ballot in person at a board of elections office in your county,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. “It’s important to clarify this so that voters have the right set of expectations when showing up at a board of elections office. They won’t be voting the same way they would at their polling place on election day.”
On-demand mail ballot voting allows eligible Pennsylvania voters to request a mail ballot application and fill it out at their local elections office. County election staff can process the application and give the voter a ballot on the spot, which they can fill out and return in the same visit.
Currently, every county but Beaver and Fulton has mail ballots available at their election office for people who wish to vote this way, according to the Department of State.
Voters can check with the Department of State’s website for more information on mail ballot availability in their county. They can also check with their local election officials for more information on where and when the service is available.
“I’d like to ask that voters be patient with their county board of election staff when choosing this option,” Schmidt said. “Check to make sure the county has this option available when showing up during the business hours they have for this.”
On-demand mail ballot voting is available until the deadline to apply for a mail ballot at 5 p.m. on Oct. 27.
The last day for eligible Pennsylvanians to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 19.
“While [on-demand mail ballot voting] might seem new to voters it actually isn’t,” Schmidt said.
The practice predates Pennsylvania’s 2019 law that allowed for no-excuse mail ballot voting. Before that, voters who would not be able to visit the polls on election day could request an absentee ballot at their county election office, fill it out in person and return it in one visit through the same process. But, the volume of ballots cast this way was generally smaller.
According to Schmidt, as of Wednesday morning, more than 7,000 people have cast ballots through on-demand mail ballot voting.
Roughly 1,134,000 mail ballot applications have been approved across Pennsylvania, and around one-third of them have already been returned.
All mail ballots must be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. on election day, regardless of whether they’re returned in person, at a drop box or by mail.
READ: Inside the E-Pollbook Technology Powering Voting Across Southeastern Pennsylvania
Those planning to send their ballots through the postal service should allow as much time as possible before election day.
All mail ballots, regardless of whether they’re cast in person, are counted the same way.
“The law is the same, the rules are the same and the process for counting them is the same,” Schmidt said.
In Pennsylvania, election workers are only allowed to begin a process called pre-canvassing — preparing mail ballots to be counted — at 7 a.m. on election day. Depending on the amount of mail ballots received, that means results can be delayed in some counties.
Bucks County On-Demand Voting Locations and Calendars
1. County Administration Building (Old Courthouse)
55 E Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18901
Calendar: County Administration Building Calendar
2. Lower Bucks Government Services Center*
7321 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA 19055
Calendar: Lower Bucks Government Services Center Calendar
3. Upper Bucks Government Services Center*
261 California Road, Quakertown, PA 18951
Calendar: Upper Bucks Government Services Center Calendar
4. Bucks County Community College, Newtown Campus**
275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940
On-Demand Voting location: Gateway Building, Room 106
Ballot Box Location: Outside of Room 106
Calendar: BCCC, Newtown Campus Calendar
**This temporary satellite election office will cease providing on-demand voting and voter services after October 27. However, the official ballot drop boxes will remain accessible during posted hours.
5. Bucks County Community College, Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks**
1304 Veterans Highway, Bristol, PA 19007
On-Demand Voting Location: Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus, Room 105
Ballot Box Location: Main Lobby
Calendar: BCCC, Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks Calendar
**This temporary satellite election office will cease providing on-demand voting and voter services after October 27. However, the official ballot drop boxes will remain accessible during posted hours.
6. Bucks County Community College, Upper Bucks Campus**
1 Hillendale Road, Perkasie, PA 18944
On-Demand Voting location: Boardroom, Suite 158
Ballot Box Location: Main Lobby
Calendar: BCCC, Upper Bucks Campus Calendar
**This temporary satellite election office will cease providing on-demand voting and voter services after October 27. However, the official ballot drop boxes will remain accessible during posted hours.
7. Warminster Township Free Library**
1076 Emma Lane, Warminster, PA 18974
On-Demand Voting Location: Small Meeting Room
Ballot Box Location: Vestibule
Calendar: Warminster Township Free Library Calendar
**This temporary satellite election office will cease providing on-demand voting and voter services after October 27. However, the official ballot drop boxes will remain accessible during posted hours.
*Temporary Satellite Office
**After October 27
The four temporary satellite election offices will no longer provide voter services after October 27. Their Official Ballot Drop Boxes will remain available during posted hours.
- Emergency absentee voting is available only for qualifying voters with an emergency.
- Emergency absentee services will be available at:
- County Administration Building
- Lower Bucks Government Services Center
- Upper Bucks Government Services Center
- The four temporary satellite offices will no longer provide voter services after October 27. Their ballot drop boxes will remain available during posted hours.
Information provided by Bucks County Government.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star, where this article was originally published, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.
