Gov. Wolf Encourages PA To Vote By Mail In Primary Election

PENNSYLVANIA — Gov. Wolf is encouraging all Pennsylvania residents to vote by mail in the upcoming primary election, citing the need to limit crowds at the polls and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

In-person polling will remain available and voting by mail is not required, though the issue has been hotly contested since the primary was delayed from April 28 to June 2 due to the outbreak. State leaders have joined health experts in calling for residents to take advantage of an improved and more convenient mail balloting system.

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“The 2020 election season is bringing unprecedented changes for Pennsylvania voters,” Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said in a statement. “We are using every tool available to make sure voters know about the changes in voting while also staying safe, including the new option for all voters to vote by mail from the comfort of their home."

Boockvar added that nearly 600,000 voters have applied to for a mail-in or absentee ballot. The state has launched an extensive voter education and outreach program advertising the changes made in the election reform bill that was signed last October, before the coronavirus crisis began.

That legislation known as Act 77, was "the most significant improvement to Pennsylvania's elections in more than 80 years," Gov. Tom Wolf said at the time he signed it. The law establishes an array of changes to the voting laws to enable a more convenient voting system, including allowing residents to vote by mail without needing to provide a reason.

To vote by mail, apply online for a ballot, or download and print the application and mail it to your county election office. You can also apply for and vote the ballot in person at the appropriate county election office.

Depending on the part of the state, the polls that remain open might not be in the same location where residents have voted before. Because many polling sites are senior centers, and because many other polling sites are not large enough to allow for social distancing, officials in some areas are planning to hold the elections at new sites. For that reason, voters who decline to vote by mail should closely monitor their mail for updates regarding the election locations. Voting locations can also be referenced here, once finalized.

In places like Montgomery County, where the virus has hit especially hard, officials petitioned the state to move to mail-in voting only. However, such a process would have required legislation at the state level, which local leaders said was not feasible.

Polling sites will be provided with kits for all volunteers including hand santizers, masks, gloves, and wipes to routinely clean all high-touch surfaces. In addition, there will be floor marking tape to protect social distancing standards.

Vote by mail applications must be received by 5 p.m. on May 26.