Election officials across Pennsylvania are ready to ensure a free, fair and safe election Tuesday, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said.
Schmidt, who oversees election administration, urged voters to make a plan to vote if they have not done so already, noting that although there are no federal offices on the ballot this year, many important state and local positions are.
“Typically, as you know, there’s lower voter turnout in this election cycle,” Schmidt told reporters in the briefing Monday. “Unfortunately, we want high voter turnout in every election cycle, and there’s really no good reason for it, because these offices are incredibly important.”
An unusual election in which three state Supreme Court justices are running for retention has attracted most of the attention this fall. Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht are seeking second ten-year terms on the state’s highest court. All three were elected in 2015 and must face voters in a “yes” or “no” ballot question to continue serving.
Republicans and Democrats have spent millions of dollars on the race, as the outcome will either maintain a Democratic majority on the court or trigger a contested election for the three seats in 2027.
If any of the sitting justices are voted out, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro would nominate interim justices to serve until the election winners are seated, but his selections are subject to confirmation by the Republican-controlled state Senate.
Other statewide races include elections for one Superior Court seat, one Commonwealth Court seat and retention elections for Superior Court Judge Alice Dubow and Commonwealth Court Judge Michael Wojcik.
Across the state, voters will choose county and local officials, including elections for mayor in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Allentown and Scranton and district attorney in Philadelphia. Nonpartisan voting rights groups including the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and the Committee of Seventy have prepared voting guides.
Voting by mail has been a popular option again in this year’s election, Schmidt said with more than 1.13 million no-excuse absentee ballots issued and about 73% already returned. He noted that anyone who has not returned a mail ballot should do so in-person at an official county drop box because it’s too late for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver them by the deadline 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“You can’t just put it in the mail tomorrow, or it won’t be counted. It has to be in the hands of the board of elections by then. So at this point, make sure to hand deliver it.
Schmidt reminded voters using mail ballots to follow the instructions, completely fill in the ovals to mark choices and to seal the completed ballot inside the yellow envelope before sealing it in the return envelope, which must be signed and dated where indicated.
Voters who make a mistake or forget to date the return envelope will not have their ballots disqualified this election, as some have in past elections. A federal appeals court ruled in August that the provision that caused some election offices to set aside undated ballots serves no purpose in administering elections and is an unjustifiable burden on voters’ rights.
“Every county is required to count mail-in ballots, even if a voter did not hand date or misdated — like writing their birthday on that outer declaration envelope,” Schmidt said, adding that county election offices time-stamp mail ballots when they are received so they know whether ballots are returned by the deadline.
Voters can check the status of their mail or absentee ballots on the Department of State website.
Voters who have not returned mail-in ballots may also take them to their normal voting location where the mail ballot can be voided and the voter can vote in person. If a mail-in ballot is rejected, not received or gets left at home on election day, voters may also go to their polling place to cast provisional ballots to ensure their vote is counted, Schmidt said.
Schmidt also said voters with disabilities, who are elderly or have limited English proficiency may also receive help voting privately from anyone except an employer or union representative.
Finally, Schmidt said voter intimidation and harassment is illegal. Anyone who feels they have witnessed or been subject to intimidation or harassment should notify the judge of elections at their polling place, their county’s district attorney or call the Department of State’s hotline at 877-VOTES-PA. Election information is available online at vote.pa.gov.
