Amid Unrest, Mail-In Ballot Deadline Extended In Montgomery Co.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — With a surge of protests that have turned violent and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic still looming, Gov. Wolf has issued an executive order extending the mail-in ballot deadline in Montgomery County.

All ballots must be postmarked by June 2. Previous to the order, postmarks were not being considered, and all ballots had to be received by 8 p.m. on June 2.

The deadline for counties to receive these ballots is June 9. In addition to Montgomery, Philadelphia, Allegheny, Dauphin, Delaware, and Erie counties will also have their ballot deadlines delayed.

“This is an unprecedented time for Pennsylvania and our nation as we face a major public health crisis and civil unrest during an election,” Gov. Wolf said in a statement late Monday night. “Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and I want to ensure that voters can cast their ballot and that it is received in time.”

In explaining the extension, Gov. Wolf cited curfews and travel restrictions as reasons that might have delayed the return of ballots in recent days. "The extension will help to ensure that voters in those counties are not disenfranchised through no fault of their own," the governor's announcement reads.

Before the protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin last week turned violent, officials were already facing mounting pressure surrounding the election. Coronavirus had radically altered election plans in Montgomery County, which was part of the state's epicenter of the virus. Polling places in the county were reduced by 60 percent, and all polling places for the primary were moved into public schools.

(See here for where to vote in Montgomery County if you are voting in person).

While officials urged all residents to vote by mail in the interest of public health, this put pressure on the mail system, to the point where 10 ballot drop-off boxes were installed in the county.Residents may drop-off ballots at these boxes until 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

A disaster emergency was declared in Montgomery County on Monday evening as well. The declaration provides state agencies with emergency power to provide National Guard manpower to support local police in the face of unrest.