The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot in Pennsylvania is Oct. 30. Students who cannot make it to their home jurisdictions for Election Day can vote from out of state via absentee ballot.

What is an absentee ballot?

Early or absentee voting allows students and other citizens who will be away from their home state or district to vote for candidates in that area. An absentee ballot is completed and mailed in advance of an election by voters who are unable to vote in person on Election Day.

What is the official deadline to turn in an absentee ballot?

Rules and deadlines for absentee ballots vary from state to state, but the deadline to apply for a Pennsylvania civilian absentee ballot is Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. Pennsylvanian ballots should be received by the Commonwealth four days before Election Day, Nov. 6.

If Pennsylvania voters miss the application deadline, however, they can apply for emergency ballots by submitting their applications to the Court of Common Pleas. 

How can someone apply for an absentee ballot?

Some states allow voters to request absentee ballots online, while others require a physical form to be filled out and mailed in.

In Pennsylvania, voters can either apply in person, complete and send in an official request form (available to print online), or send a signed letter to their county’s election office with the same information as the application form.

If voters need an assistant to help them fill out an absentee ballot, they must also submit a Designation of Agent to Assist form for that assistant.

How does voting by absentee ballot work?

If applicants meet the criteria established by their state, then the state will send an absentee ballot directly to them. 

Voters can return the ballot either by mail or in person to cast their vote. Ballots received after the deadline are not counted.

Are absentee votes counted?

Absentee ballots are counted in all elections, but they are not counted on Election Day. Instead, they are counted after the general election date, since many of those ballots are coming from outside the country. 

What is the criteria for voting by mail?

There are 20 states which require an excuse in order to receive an absentee ballot, including Pennsylvania. However, the remaining 30 states, and the District of Columbia, either conduct all elections via a vote-by-mail system (Colorado, Oregon and Washington) or do not require an excuse.

Pennsylvania gives absentee ballots to people currently serving in the military, spouses or dependents of military personnel who will be away from home on Election Day, college students and war veterans with disabilities, among others.

Can voter fraud happen over mail?

Voting by absentee ballot is a voting method especially susceptible to voter fraud, according to a study conducted by the United States Election Assistance Committee. 

Absentee ballot voter fraud occurs when voters make repeated attempts to vote in the same election, register to vote when not eligible for registration, vote in a different jurisdiction, knowingly register to vote using false information or lie about their place of residence.