- Registered Pennsylvania voters have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to request a mail-in ballot for the 2023 general election on Nov. 7
- Voters who turn in their ballots in person or at a drop box can't turn in someone else's unless they are assisting a disabled voter
- This a municipal election cycle, so races such as school boards, township supervisors and county judges will be decided
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Time is running out for Pennsylvania voters to request mail-in or absentee ballots ahead of next month's election.
Registered voters have until 5 p.m. on Halloween to request their ballot if they hope to cast a vote without heading to the polls on Nov. 7.
Lehigh and Northampton County voters can request a mail-in ballot in person at their county election office or through the state website.
While voters technically can mail their applications for a mail-in ballot, it would be unlikely to arrive by tomorrow's deadline.
The Lehigh County Voter Registration office is in the basement of Lehigh County Government Center at 17 S. 7th St., Allentown.
The Northampton County elections office is on the lower level of Northampton County Courthouse at 669 Washington St., Easton.
If voters go in person to their county election office before close of business Tuesday, they have the option of over-the-counter voting.
Simply complete the mail-in ballot application, fill out the ballot in the office and turn it in to avoid any concerns about it arriving back with election officials in time to be counted.
Alternatively, voters in the Lehigh Valley can submit their mail-in ballots in approved drop boxes. In Lehigh County, the drop boxes can be found at:
- Whitehall Township Municipal Building, 3219 MacArthur Road, Whitehall Township, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Lehigh County Authority, 1053 Spruce Road, Lower Macungie Township, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
- Fountain Hill Borough Building, 941 Long St., Fountain Hill, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Lehigh County Government Center, 17 S. 7th St., Allentown all day
- The Macungie Borough Building, 21 Locust St., Macungie, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Low participation, but high impact races
Northampton County voters can find their drop boxes at:
- Northampton County Courthouse, 669 Washington St., Easton, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Northampton County Human Services Building, 2801 Emerick Blvd., Bethlehem Township, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Northampton County 911 Center, 100 Gracedale Ave., Upper Nazareth Township, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Bethlehem City Hall, E. 10 Church St., Bethlehem, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Unless a voter is disabled, Pennsylvania law does not permit people to turn in someone else's ballot. That limit extends to spouses and members of the same household.
Voters who stick to mailing their mail-in ballot should factor in delivery times.
First Class mail can take one to five days to arrive, according to the U.S. Postal Service's inspector general, so voters may be wise to mail their completed ballots back by Thursday, Nov. 2.
The 2023 election is a municipal election cycle, so races such as school board directors, borough councilmembers and county judges will be on the ballot.
While the races tend to see the lowest participation levels, the outcomes have major implications.
They determine the largest part of voters' tax bills, how local schools run and who will prosecute people accused of crimes and sentence those who are convicted.
