Mail-in ballots heading out as Pennsylvania voter registration deadline approaches

More than one million Pennsylvanian voters have requested a mail-in ballot ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election, with counties reporting nearly 64,000 returned ballots at the end of September.

At a press conference Wednesday, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt saidthat the percentage of returned ballots this year outpaced the 2022 midterm election, noting that the deadline to apply is Oct. 27.

“Voting by mail is a convenient, safe and secure option for eligible Pennsylvanians,” he said. “And even though the deadline is several weeks away, those who prefer to vote by mail should apply today to ensure they have time to receive, mark and return their ballot by Election Day.”

Ballots must be received by the county board of elections by 9 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. More than 30 counties have started mailing out ballots, according to Schmidt. 

He added that voting systems are tested daily to ensure ballots are marked correctly, and never connected to the internet. 

“Every vote is cast on a voter-verifiable paper ballot that is subject to two audits after every election,” he said.

Schmidt emphasized that law enforcement officers are prohibited from polling places unless they are voting — with the exception for someone serving a warrant or preventing a disturbance. Trump administration officials have floated the possibility.

“State and federal laws strictly limit military and law enforcement presence at polling places, and they also prohibit voter intimidation,” he continued. “We encourage anyone involved in the electoral process — whether they’re an election direction, a candidate, a poll worker or a registered voter — to immediately report threats of violence to appropriate law enforcement partners.”

Additionally, reports can be made to the Pennsylvania Department of State online or at 1-877-VOTESPA. Oct. 19 is the last day to register to vote.