Chesco Voter Services Staying On Top of Mail-In Ballot Requests

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Chester County was one of the first regionally to begin sending out the nearly 140,ooo mail-in and absentee ballots requested by the county's registered voters.

The Chester County Voter Services office started sending out General Election ballots the last week of September, said county information officer Becky Brain.

You must be a register voter in order to request a mail-in or absentee ballot, and Oct. 19 is the last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania, before the Nov. 3 Election. The last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot is Oct. 27.

While other counties have seen shortages of poll workers, Chester County has has more applicants than it can respond to, according to Voter Services.

Chester County reported the number of requests for mail-in and absentee ballots received and processed at Voter Services, and then mailed out, as of Monday.

• Registered voters in Chester County: 371,661
• Mail-in/Absentee Ballots requested: 139,038
• Mail-in/Absentee Ballots processed: 134,377
• Mail-in/Absentee Ballots mailed: 133,457

When Voter Services receives the mail-in or absentee ballot request, the request is recorded, as it as received, explained Brain. This confirmation then goes into the State system so that, for example, if a voter requests a mail-in ballot, they can check on the State site to know that their ballot has been received, she said.

After processing, the mail-in or absentee ballot request goes to Chester County's mailing house, where the ballot is mailed out to the person requesting it. Voter Services, as of yesterday, had processed 96 percent of mail-in and absentee ballot requests.

Chester County’s two satellite election offices, listed below, open Wednesday and the Secure drop box locations open Oct. 13.

The secure drop box at the Government Services Center, at 601 Westtown Road, is taking mail-in and absentee ballots now, and is open 24/7, according to Brain.

Chester County stands out in that state's election climate for other reasons, as well. It is among a handful of counties statewide where new voters registered numbered more for Democrats than for Republicans.

Democratic voter registrations in Chester County outpaced that of the Republican Party here, with the Democratic Party of Chester County adding 4,706 new registered voters between June and last Friday, Oct. 2. The Republican Party of Chester County gained 3,085 new registered voters in that same time.

Since June, the Democratic Party has only been more successful than Republicans in six of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.: Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Sullivan.

Chester County provides complete information for voters at chesco.org/elections.

Chester County satellite election offices for the 2020 General Election:

Henrietta Hankin Branch
215 Windgate Drive, Chester Springs
Monday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday: CLOSED

Oxford Public Library
48 S. Second Street, Oxford
Monday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday: CLOSED

Chester County secure drop-box locations, from Tuesday, Oct. 13:

Chester County Government Services Center
601 Westtown Rd, West Chester
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Avon Grove Library
117 Rosehill Avenue, West Grove
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Chester County Library
450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Coatesville Area Public Library
501 E Lincoln Highway, Coatesville
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Downingtown Library
122 Wallace Ave., Downingtown
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Easttown Library & Information Center
720 First Ave., Berwyn
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Honey Brook Community Library
687 Compass Road, Honey Brook
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kennett Library
216 State Street, Kennett Square
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Phoenixville Public Library
183 2nd St., Phoenixville
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Parkesburg Free Library
105 West St., Parkesburg
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Spring City Free Library
245 Broad St., Spring City
M-F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For instructions on completing mail-in ballots properly, see this video.

See a related story on drop-off locations here.