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It may seem a distant memory, but the COVID-19 pandemic left long-term consequences, including on elections. The risk of contracting a disease with unpredictable consequences dramatically increased interest in voting by mail. Laws were adapted to make the process easier while trying to keep it secure, but concerns arose — some real, others works of fiction.
The system has now been around long enough for some fine-tuning as well as some judicial clarifications. But it’s still easy to make your ballot invalid by simply being sloppy. To assure your vote counts, follow the rules.
All the rules.
A Sunday story spelled out the steps that need to be taken and the reasons they matter. If you are reading this online, consider bookmarking the link to Sunday’s story here or going to the state’s election website (pa.gov/en/agencies/vote/elections/upcoming-elections.html) for more detailed information on the elections in general as well as mail-in details.
Things to make sure you do:
• Place the completed ballot inside the yellow secrecy envelope, then place that in the envelope that actually goes to the election bureau. Don’t skip the secrecy envelope. Putting the ballot directly into the outer envelope is called a “naked ballot,” and those are rejected. The yellow envelope allows the ballots to be shuffled before being opened and counted, and that assures your voting privacy.
• Write the date on the outer envelope to verify when you filled it out. A federal appeals court upheld enforcement of this mandate. Use the date you are filling out the ballot, and get it right. Make sure you get the final two digits of the year correct.
• Be sure to sign the ballot. If you are unable to sign due to illness or disability, make sure there is witness verification.
• Don’t write anything on the outside of the secrecy envelope, especially names or identifying marks.
• Be careful not to select more than the specified number of candidates.
• Only one ballot should be placed inside a secrecy or mailing envelope. The county cannot count multiple ballots in the same envelope, such as those for a couple, because there would be no way to determine which ballot is tied to the voter listed on the envelope with the unique tracking bar code.
• Don’t staple or place stickers on the ballot or inner/outer envelopes, particularly over the bar code.
• Fill in the ovals with black or blue ink; black is preferred.
• Fully shade in the ovals on the ballot and don’t mark choices with an X or slash or by circling them.
• Remember, ballots must be physically in the election bureau by 8 p.m. election day, Nov. 5. The postmark date does not count. To be sure, you can drop them off at the bureau yourself at Penn Place, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave. That’s also where one of two ballot drop boxes are available (in the lobby), from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays (Oct. 22 and 29); 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the other weekdays; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the next three weekends (Oct. 19-20, Oct. 26-27 and Nov. 2-3).
• The other drop box is at the Broad Street Exchange in Hazleton, 100 W. Broad St., weekdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Nov. 1 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 4. This box is not available on Election Day.
Lastly, heed County Election Board Chairwoman Denise Williams advice and “be really careful,” triple-checking that you’ve followed all the requirements.
Take the time to make sure your vote gets counted.