Voters line up as critical deadline approaches in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Hundreds of voters stood in lines across the Philadelphia region, as Tuesday was the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot and vote early in person all at once at satellite offices.
"Actually mailing it made me a little nervous just with everything that's been going on," said Laurie Capriotti of Glen Mills. "I probably wouldn't be able to vote on Tuesday, so I came today to make sure I got to vote."
The deadline to drop off their completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
State officials are strongly encouraging Pennsylvanians to drop off mail-in ballots in person rather than rely on the US Postal Service.
"If you haven't already, voters with mail ballots should immediately hand-deliver your ballot to your county-designated location," said Gov. Wolf. "Don't wait until Election Day. Hand-delivering your own ballot now will give you the peace of mind that your vote will be counted, and your voice will be heard in this historic election."
Voters who applied for and received a mail ballot and then decide they want to vote at the polls must bring their entire mail ballot packet with them to be voided, including both envelopes. They may then vote on their county's voting system.
"Now is the time that I would definitely, strongly, highly recommend that if you have a ballot, please bring it in person, do not put it in the mail," said Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir.
If a voter applies for a mail ballot but does not return it and no longer has the mail ballot and envelopes, they may vote by provisional ballot. The county board of elections will then verify that they did not vote by mail before counting their provisional ballot.
Under Pennsylvania law, voters may only return their own mail ballot. The only exceptions to this are for voters with a disability who have several options for how to cast their ballots this election.
