Key 2020 Voting Deadlines In Pennsylvania

The Nov. 3 general election in Pennsylvania will be a vote like no other. Pennsylvania's status as a battleground state means the nation's eyes will be on us. Meanwhile, a record amount of mail-in voting, due to coronavirus concerns, could complicate how voting, and vote-counting, goes down.

To help, we've compiled a list of deadlines for the upcoming election. Here's the deadline to register to vote, apply for a mail-in ballot and get that ballot to local election officials, as well as information on how to do all of the above.

Register To Vote

The deadline to register to vote in an election in Pennsylvania is 15 days before that election. For the Nov. 3 general election, the last day to register to vote is Oct. 19. You may get an application to register at the Pennsylvania Voter Services website.

Mail-In And Absentee Voting

The deadline to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot for is Oct. 27. The application must be received by your county election office by 5 p.m. that day. Any registered voter may request a mail-in ballot, but will need a PA driver's license or ID card to do so online. Absentee ballots are for:

• Students attending college out of the county
• People whose work or vacations take them away from home
• Those with physical disabilities or injuries
• Members of the military
• People with a religious holiday conflict
• Inmates who have not been convicted of a felony

Voting By Mail

Ballots will be counted if they are received by 5 p.m. the Friday after the Nov. 3 election, the state Supreme Court decided on Sept. 17. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3.

Election officials expect a massive number of mail-in votes this year and are encouraging voters to submit them as early as possible.

RELATED NEWS

• PA Robocalls Seek To Suppress Mail-In Voters, Officials Warn
• Wolf Calls For New Mail-In Voting Laws In PA
• To Vote By Mail Or Not? Here's What Pennsylvanians Think

Voting In Person

Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. To find your polling place, visit the Department of State's polling place Web page. If you applied for a mail-in ballot, but decide instead to vote in person, you should bring your mail-in ballot to your polling place to be destroyed by a poll worker.

Vote Drop-Off Boxes

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit trying to prevent ballot drop boxes from being used in Pennsylvania, but a federal judge has put that suit on hold until at least October to let state courts to address the issue. Assuming they are allowed, local governments are expected to announce drop box locations between now and Election Day.