Everything You Need To Know About Election Day In PA

PENNSYLVANIA — A historic Election Day is just days away in Pennsylvania. Not only are residents recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and an economic downturn, but social unrest, issues of racial injustice, and the advent of mail-in ballots have combined to create an election season like no other.

More than 80 percent of American voters had the opportunity to vote-by-mail in the Nov. 3 election, by far the most in U.S. history. Absentee voting is allowed for all in 34 states, and only six states require an "excuse" other than fear of the coronavirus to vote by mail.

Here's everything you need to know about casting your ballot in Pennsylvania.

The basics

• Election date: Nov. 3
• Registration deadline: passed on Oct. 19
• Postmarked by deadline: Nov. 3
• Received by deadline: Nov. 6

If you're voting by mail

Voting by mail is available to all Pennsylvania voters prior to Election Day. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot passed on Oct. 27. All residents are urged to hand deliver their ballot immediately; do not put it in the mail.

If you have already mailed in your ballot, you can track the status of it here.

If you still haven't received your ballot and Election Day arrives, you can also vote via a provisional ballot at the polls. The provisional ballot will become your official vote once elections officials determine they have not received your mail-in ballot.

What to do with your mail-in ballot

• All ballots come with two envelopes, an inner secrecy envelope and an outer envelope with the address of your county elections office. You must put your ballot inside both envelopes. If you do not use the secrecy envelope, your ballot is considered "naked" and will not be counted. READ MORE: How 'Naked Ballots' Could Cause Election Chaos In PA, U.S.
• Ballots will come with a return envelope and can be returned by mail, dropped into a designated ballot drop-off box, or returned in person at a county elections office or satellite voter services office.
• Ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 received within three days of the election are valid. If a ballot envelope is placed in a mail drop box on or near Election Day, that envelope may be postmarked late and will not be eligible to be counted. If you're returning your ballot at the last minute, consider dropping off your ballot in person.

Where can I drop off my ballot?

Drop-off boxes and satellite offices have been set up around the state. If you're in southeastern Pennsylvania, here's where you can go:

• Montgomery County
• Chester County
• Delaware County
• Bucks County
• Philadelphia

You can also use this tool at VotesPa to find your county's ballot box, if they have boxes, across Pennsylvania.

Voting In-Person

Polls will be open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. If you're planning on voting in-person and are not sure where to go to vote, you can find your polling place here.

The state has put together a multi-agency task force to protect the election and address any election-related unrest.

Voter registration

Not sure if you're registered to vote? You can find out here.

Voter rights

If you are heading in-person to a polling place, it's important to know your rights, and what is and is not legal in your encounters with poll workers.

You are not required to show identification, according to Pennsylvania law, unless you have never voted at that precinct in the past.

Only voters who have never voted at that precinct before are required to show identification, according to Pennsylvania law. That identification does not have to be photo identification, but it must contain your name and address.

Just because your name is not in the poll book, does not mean you are not registered to vote, according to a release from Gov. Wolf's office. Voting officials should call the county board of elections to confirm your status.

For those who may have limited English language proficiency, the law stipulates that you may bring another individual with you into the voting booth to help out casting your vote.

Finally, aside from wearing a mask and staying six feet away from other voters, you can also minimize risk by voting early to avoid long lines to vote.

What and who are on the ballot?

• Presidential race: With the Green Party kicked off the ballot in Pennsylvania, the only third party option open to Pennsylvania voters is the Libertarian Party, featuring Jo Jorgensen and Jeremy Spike Cohen. Beyond that, residents can either cast a write-in vote, or choose between Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, or Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris.
• State legislature races: Dozens of seats in the state legislature are up for grabs. Depending on your district, candidates for these local seats may appear on your ballot. See state legislature races your local ballot here.
• State government seats: State-level races for auditor general, attorney general, and state treasurer will be on all Pennsylvania ballots.
• U.S. Congress: While no U.S. Senate seats are on the ballot in 2020, all 18 of the state's congressional seats will be decided. Pennsylvania's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives is evenly split between nine Republicans and nine Democrats heading into Election Day. See congressional races on your local ballot here.

More headlines from election season in Pennsylvania

• PA Prepares Multi-Agency Task Force To Respond To Election Unrest
• PA Mail-In Vote Totals: 57% Of Ballots Returned So Far
• How 'Naked Ballots' Could Cause Election Chaos In PA, U.S.
• Philly-Area Mail Delivery Slows Significantly Ahead Of Election
• Bucks Co. Scrambles To Handle Last-Day Early Voting Crowds
• Voter Registration Day 2020 In PA: 5 Things To Know
• GOP Registers Twice As Many New PA Voters: See County Breakdown
• PA Election 2020: Where Is My Mail-In Ballot?
• After Pushback, Controversial PA Election Commission Tabled
• No Evidence Of 'Malicious Interference' In PA Voter Website Crash
• Green Party Kicked Off PA Ballot, Mail-Ins Will Now Go Out
• Pennsylvania Mail-In Ballot Deadline Extended By 3 Days
• Key 2020 Voting Deadlines In Pennsylvania