As Election Day nears, Allegheny County outlines voting options

PITTSBURGH — Election Day is one week away and voters in Allegheny County have several options to cast their ballots between now and then.

“We want to have the highest voter turnout we can,” said Dave Voye, the Allegheny County Elections Division manager. “The easier we can make it for people to vote, the more people will vote.”

You’ll have until 5 p.m. on Nov. 1 to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot.

You can do it online at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/OnlineAbsenteeApplication/#/OnlineAbsenteeBegin or downtown at the County Office Building.

The application will ask for your name, date of birth, driver’s license number and other information to verify voter status.

If you’re applying for an absentee ballot, you’ll have to provide a reason why. If you’re applying for a mail in ballot, you will not.

“An absentee ballot is for someone who physically cannot go to the polls, whether they’re away at college or on vacation or have a physical disability,” said Voye. “Anyone can vote by mail-in ballot.”

If you apply in person in the lobby of the Allegheny County Office Building, you can also fill out your ballot on the spot and submit it.

If you apply online, you’ll be mailed a ballot that you can return in the mail or in person at the County Office Building.

Ballots have to be received by election officials by 8 p.m. on election night.

So far, Voye says 188,000 applications have been processed and 128,000 have been returned.

“We are averaging about 5,000 returned per day and if you do the math, up until next Tuesday, we should probably get another 30 or 35,000 ballots in,” said Voye.

You can also drop off your ballot in a drop box on the Ross Street side of the County Office Building from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6; and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

“You can pull up (and) members of Public Works and Facilities will watch your car, you pull over at the curb, you can get out and drop your ballot off,” said Voye.

If you do mail in your ballot, but are afraid it won’t make it in time, you can go to your polling place on Election Day and fill out a provisional ballot.

“If the ballot is not returned in time, your provisional ballot will be counted, and vice versa. If we’ve already received your mail-in ballot, the provisional ballot will be set aside,” explained Voye.

If you plan to vote in person on Election Day, Allegheny County officials say the county’s more than 1,300 polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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