VOTING Info for Chester County, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Voting Hotline 1-833-PAVOTES or 1-833-728-6837

Mail In Ballots:  Register voters can apply for a Mail In Ballot until October 27, 2020 but it is recommended that you drop off your ballot at a ballot drop off location instead of mailing to ensure delivery on time if possible.It is too late to mail a ballot, f ind a drop box location or bring your ballot to your poll where they will void the mail in and give you a new ballot.

Important:  If you applied for a Mail In Ballot and decided to vote at your Polling Place, then you need to take your ballot with you to your polling place.  They will void your Mail In Ballot and issue a new ballot to vote with.

For information on voting in PA including registering to vote (deadline 10/19/2020), “Mail In” Ballot or Absentee Ballot application (deadline 10/27/2020), check statuses on application or ballot, find your polling place to vote in person on 11/03/2020.

www.pavoterservices.pa.gov   or

www.chesco.org/156/Voter-Services

Ballot Drop Off Locations (open 10/13/2020 until November 3, 2020, 8pm) in Chester County. Check for locations and times.

Satellite Government Election offices are located at Oxford and Chester Springs Ballot Drop Off Locations.  Registered voters can get a Mail In ballot, fill out the ballot and drop it into a Ballot Drop Off Box all in one stop.  Done.  Chester County Voter Services located at 601 Westtown Rd, West Chester, PA is the main government office that also provides this service. Must bring a Valid ID.

www.chesco.org/156/Voter-Services.

Look up your Polling Place:  Chester County LIST HERE.  Find your Polling Place by using your address Search HERE.

Look up your ballot:  Sample Ballots.  

Chester County Voter Information Portal. 

***When Voting by Mail In Ballot, follow instructions on the ballot and how to put the ballot into the security envelope and then into the addressed/voter declaration envelope.

INFO on Mail In Ballots or Ballots dropped off at Ballot Drop Off Locations: 

Ballots dropped off at Ballot Drop Off Boxes are time stamped and voters who have an email associated with their application/ballot get an email confirming receipt of ballot. This is indicated online by stating “Vote Recorded” (This is technically incorrect because the ballot is received and vote will not be officially counted until 11/03/2020). The confirmation email is generally sent anytime between 3 to 8 days after drop off.

-Use BLACK ink pen or dark blue ink.  The scanners are designed to read dark marks and that is why on the Chester County Ballot, they instruct you to use black ink. 

-If you make a mistake, put a line through the mistake (so the mistake can be seen) and write the correct answer beside or above the mistake.  Do not scribble it out or use paper white.

-If you wrote your birth date instead of the current date on the outer envelope (yes this is a thing), your ballot will not be disqualified.

-All ballots will be processed starting on 11/03/2020.  Ballots are verified as received and have time stamps that are stored in locked secure boxes until election day. “Vote Recorded” actually means “Ballot Received” and voter services is aware of this issue.

Read the instructions on the ballot on filling out the ballot.  There are also instructions for putting your ballot in the security envelope and then into the outer addressed declaration envelope before mailing or placing in a ballot drop box.  Drop Box locations and times found HERE.

Election 2020 Info

New Pennsylvania Voter Laws

Mail In Ballots – PA has passed new voter laws that allow Mail In voting.  After applying on line or downloading a paper copy and mailing it in or going to the Chester County Voter Services office and filling out an application, your ballot will be received by mail with instructions and you mail it back or drop it off at the Chester County Board of Elections office by 8pm on Primary or General Election Day.  Any registered voter can apply for a Mail In ballot by 5pm on the Tuesday before election day. The completed ballot must be received in the election office by 8pm not postmarked by that day.  It is strongly encouraged to complete the application for a “mail in” ballot at least a week before the application deadline to ensure time to process and receive your ballot.  The same is recommended after completing your ballot and return it by mail at least a week ahead of the deadline to ensure receipt of the ballot to be counted.  Any “mail in” ballots received after the 8pm deadline on election day will not be counted. If you need to drop off your ballot on or before election day, Voter Services Office at 601 Westtown Rd, Suite 150, West Chester, PA 19380 will take them until 8PM

No Straight Party Option on Ballots – There is no straight party option on the ballot as of 2020 so all candidates and issues have to be marked to be voted for.

Find more information on the New PA Voting Law:  https://www.votespa.com/About-Elections/Pages/Voting-Reforms.aspx

New Voter Registration and Changes to Current Registration

New voters can register to vote by applying on line, downloading a mail in application to mail or go to Chester County Voters services and fill out an application there.  You should receive a card in 14 days and you can verify if you are registered by checking your registration status online (see button below).

The same application is used to make changes to your voter registration such as change of address, name change or change party affiliation.

Check Your Voter Registration Status

Check your registration status online to see if your information is correct or if you are unsure if you are registered or not

Absentee Voting

Registered voters who are away from home because of work or school, physically incapable of making it to the polls or in the military are required to vote by absentee ballot.  April 21, 2020 by 5pm is the deadline for application for an absentee ballot.  Click below for instructions and requirements.