Tick tock, Pennsylvania voters. The clock is winding down on your chance to snag a mail ballot for the fast-approaching April 23 primary. You've got until April 16 to apply, and Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt is pushing you to hustle and not wait until the last minute.
Get a move on—that's the gist of Schmidt's message. He's telling voters to get their applications in pronto to avoid any possible snafu with the postal service or other unforeseeable delays. If you're the proactive sort, head to the nearest county board of elections office, apply in person, and you can even fill out your ballot on the spot and hand it over. One and done. Over 835,000 Keystone Staters have already jumped on the mail-ballot bandwagon, opting for the no-excuse-needed mail-in or absentee ballots, according to the state's website.
But don't just check a box and drop your ballot in any old envelope. Schmidt's not playing around—here are his instructions for making sure your voice is heard and your vote counts:
First, read the instructions—no skim reading allowed. Mark your selections as directed, seal them up in the yellow inner secrecy envelope, and for heaven's sake, do not scribble elsewhere. The outer return envelope is where your John Hancock goes, next to the icon of a hand clutching a pen. A witness is only on board if you need someone to lend a hand with the ballot. Once that's all squared away, deliver the masterpiece back to your county board of elections office, or a designated drop box if that's more your style.
You're on the clock until 8 p.m. on Election Day to get that ballot back. Latecomers need not apply—late ballots are out of the running, even if they're postmarked on time. And for any traditionalists out there, the polls will be open on April 23 from dawn till dusk.
If you're looking for the nuts and bolts of voting in PA, check out vote.pa.gov. The site's got your back in English, Spanish, and Chinese. It's chock-full of tips for everyone—from first-timers to the elderly and military folks. Not sure where to vote? There's a tool for that. Need more help? Call 1-877-VOTES-PA and they'll talk you through it in just about any language under the sun.
One last pro tip for the politically undeclared—the primary's closed to the party faithful, meaning you need to be a card-carrying Democrat or Republican to cast your vote for the candidates. But don't feel left out. There's still a chance to weigh in on local amendments and ballot questions, provided you check in with your county elections board for the scoop.
