can someone else drop off my ballot pennsylvania

USPS recommends mailing your ballot back at least 7 days before Election Day. In most states, you can drop off a ballot for someone else but there might be restrictions. the county clerk by United States mail or by depositing the ballot at the office of the county clerk, at "An authorized messenger shall deliver the absentee ballot to the person in charge of the election unless there is not sufficient time for the person in charge of the election to transmit the absentee ballot to the voter's home precinct. The film also pointed to cellphone geolocation data, which experts say is not precise enough to identify whether someone used a drop box or simply traveled near it. Other states, like California, allow for a ballot to submitted by anyone chosen by the voter as long as they are not paid per ballot they collect. As court debates student loans, borrowers see disconnect, Vento's Pizza, home of 'Franco's Italian Army,' to close, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. ", State law also says that it is a class I felony for "any person to take into that person's possession for delivery to a voter or The auditor or business manager of the school district, as the case Out of the 40 states not sending voters a ballot in . The city or town clerk, or ward clerk on election day at the polls, shall not accept an absentee ballot from a delivery agent unless the delivery agent completes a form provided by the secretary of state, which shall be maintained by the city or town clerk, and the delivery agent presents a government-issued photo identification or has his or her identity verified by the city or town clerk. Other states dont have laws on ballot collection at all. (A) An administrator may deliver the absentee ballot to the county clerk for any voter who names the administrator on his or her application and voter statement. Drop boxes are frequently placed intentionally in public, high-traffic spaces. You can check your voter registration status online.You can also contact your county's election and voter registration officials, or call 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772). (d) A person assisting a blind voter or a voter with a disability who has signed a statement on the affidavit envelope acknowledging the assistance. For example, some states, like Arizona, only allow caregivers, family members or household members to drop off a ballot for someone else. See our page, Arguments for and against restricting who may return mail ballots, for detailed support and opposition arguments from a variety of sources. "[11], On June 17, the Wisconsin Elections Commission approved the letter that accompanied absentee ballot applications that went to most voters ahead of the general election. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. at any location described in ORS 254.472 or 254.474 FILE - A county worker collects a mail-in ballots in a drive-thru mail-in ballot drop off area at the Clark County Election Department in Las Vegas, Nov. 2, 2020. How Vote By Mail Works in Pennsylvania. For each state below, you will find a brief summary of key points of mail ballot return laws, direct quotes from state laws with more detail, and links to the full laws, where available. Application or written request received. In Indiana, an absentee ballot may be returned by a voter's household member or attorney in fact. Voting by mail is a two-step process in Pennsylvania. The representative shall deliver the ballot and voter certificate to an election official not later than 8:00 p.m. Alaska time on election day. Delaware law does not specify whether someone can return an absentee ballot on a voter's behalf. The law also specifies that an individual assisting a voter who is blind or has a disability may return an absentee ballot upon signing a statement on the affidavit envelope and that such individual may not return more than four ballots unless they are a family member, nursing home administrator/staff, or residential care facility administrator/staff. Absentee ballots delivered through the mail or by the voter's delivery agent shall be received by the town, city, or ward clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the election. In Pennsylvania, the answer is mostly no. Election security experts say that voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, including by mail and at drop boxes. "The surest way for a voter to guarantee their ballot is returned on time is drop it in an official drop box by 8 p.m. Election Day, but if they choose to entrust a stranger with their ballot, we . Any person registered and otherwise qualified to vote who becomes incapacitated on or after the seventh day preceding an election may request at any time prior to 2:00 p.m. on the day preceding the election that an emergency absentee ballot application be delivered to him. A voter to whom a ballot was delivered in person at the office of the clerk as provided in said subsection (a) of said section ninety-one B shall return it without removing the ballot from such office. Oklahoma law does not specify whether someone may return mail ballots on behalf of voters. Other states allow you to give your ballot to anyone you choose. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? (d) [3], New York law does not specify whether someone may return mail ballots on behalf of voters.[1]. And those counties saw the number of drop boxes decline precipitously after the law took effect from 107 to 25. To an immediate family member or to a 3rd person if the absentee ballot was requested by telephone or by electronic means; [2011, c. 534, 17 (AMD).] county clerk, at the designated place of deposit or Unless the person possessed the ballot or carrier envelope with intent to defraud the voter or the election authority, this subsection does not apply to a person who, on the date of the offense, was: (1) related to the voter within the second degree by affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as determined under Subchapter B, Chapter 573, Government Code; (2) physically living in the same dwelling as the voter; (3) an early voting clerk or a deputy early voting clerk; (4) a person who possesses a ballot or carrier envelope solely for the purpose of lawfully assisting a voter who was eligible for assistance under Section 86.010 and complied fully with: (B) Section 86.0051, if assistance was provided in order to deposit the envelope in the mail or with a common or contract carrier; (5) an employee of the United States Postal Service working in the normal course of the employee's authorized duties; or. Laws allowing ballot collection make voting more convenient, but they have been criticized by some who say they increase risk of voter fraud. A. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. cannot provide a signed, written authorization from an applicant. or to take advantage of a ballot drop-off location. "A qualified voter with a disability who, because of that disability, is unable to go to a polling place to vote may vote a special needs ballot. The oath shall be upon a voter assistance form prescribed by the State Board of Elections. (a) The voter's spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild; or B. The law states that a voter may do the following after sealing their absentee envelope: Deliver the envelope to a member of the voter's household or a person designated as the attorney in fact for the voter under IC 30-5 for delivery to the county election board: (i)in person; Most states do allow residents to return a ballot for someone else but with various levels of restriction. We're now less than a month away from the Nov. 3 general election, but t here's still time to register to vote or to request an absentee or mail-in ballot. "[13], Four commission members are appointed by the four state legislative leaders and two are appointed by the governor. 254.474. (3) The agent shall pick up the ballot before one hour prior to the closing of the polls on election day and deliver the ballot to the registered voter. The film also pointed to cellphone geolocation data, which experts say is not precise enough to identify whether someone used a drop box or simply traveled near it. The handling of absentee ballots should be restricted to voters, most immediate family members, or an individual residing in their household. (D) The county clerk shall not accept an absentee ballot from an authorized agent who does not sign the register under oath. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. (3)A person in charge of a vote by mail ballot and who knowingly and willingly engages in criminal acts related to that ballot as described in Division 18 (commencing with Section 18000 ), including, but not limited to, fraud, bribery, intimidation, and tampering with or failing to deliver the ballot in a timely fashion, is subject to the appropriate punishment specified in that division.[3]. has been prepared, the county auditor, city auditor, or business manager of the school It is a class I felony for anyone else to return absentee ballots on behalf of others. Dropping off someone else's mail-in ballot at a mailbox or drop box could result in a fine or jail time, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin reminded voters Tuesday. (2) At no time shall an authorized agent have more than two (2) absentee ballots in his or her possession. Laws in seven states and D.C. only allow another person to return a voter's ballot if that voter meets specific criteria, such as having a disability or qualifying for an emergency ballot. It states the following: "The elector shall return the sealed ballot envelope to the Department by: Whether states should restrict who may return mail ballots is the subject of debate. Those who support restricting who may return mail ballots often refer to the practice of campaign and union workers returning ballots as ballot harvesting. FILE - A county worker collects a mail-in ballots in a drive-thru mail-in ballot drop off area at the Clark County Election Department in Las Vegas, Nov. 2, 2020. 10 ILCS 5/19-13. A few states require designated agents to sign a . Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job. Pa. Gov. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. Deliver the return envelope by 1 of the following methods: (a) Place the necessary postage upon the return envelope and deposit it in the United States mail or with another public postal service, express mail service, parcel post service, or common carrier. DATES AND DEADLINES. In a 6-3 ruling, the court held that the law did not violate the Voting Rights Act and was not enacted with a racially discriminatory purpose. But the film showed no evidence that the individuals it showed on surveillance tapes were part of a ballot scheme, and a state investigation found that at least one person featured in the film was legally dropping off ballots of family members. Vote got dropped off 11/03, got sent wherever, processing didn't happen until 11/04. The clerk may not issue an absentee ballot: (2) That the ballot shall be marked by the voter and placed in a sealed envelope in the agents presence, and returned, under seal to the Board by the agent. Step 5. 11 states specified who may return ballots (i.e., household members, caregivers, and/or family members) in most cases. Click here for more on support and opposition arguments. State law establishes that tampering with a ballot or failing to immediately deliver the ballot is a misdemeanor. As used in this section, "immediate family" means the spouse, children, parents or siblings of a voter. That election was overturned. Allegheny County voter turnout rises with a boost from mail-in voting, Rep. Barbara Lee joins race for California U.S. Senate seat, Nikki Haley announces presidential campaign, challenging Trump, Westmoreland Republicans back incumbent office holders, Westmoreland gears up for 2023 election, first batch of ballot applications mailed, GZA, Donnie Iris, John Mayer among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in March. The agent must be at least 18 years old and may not be a candidate. They point to a 2018 congressional election in North Carolina, when a Republican political operative and his staff illegally gathered ballots and forged signatures, as one of the few instances of voter fraud related to ballot collection. The deadline for your application to be received is November 1st by 5 p.m.. In Pennsylvania, a voter who qualifies for an emergency absentee ballot may authorize in writing a representative to return their ballot. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Am I allowed to drop off a ballot for someone else? Not specified. I UNDERSTAND THAT IF I PROVIDE FALSE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM, I MAY BE GUILTY OF PERJURY AND SUBJECT TO A FINE OF UP TO TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000) OR IMPRISONMENT FOR UP TO TEN (10) YEARS, OR BOTH, UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS.". Permanent laws in 26 states allow voters to designate someone elsea spouse, neighbor, caregiver, etc.to return a ballot on their behalf, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). (1) (A) An administrator may deliver to the county clerk an application for an absentee ballot for any voter who is a patient of a long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state and who authorizes the administrator to obtain an absentee ballot on his or her behalf. ", Tennessee law does not specify whether someone may return mail ballots on behalf of voters.[1]. Under Pennsylvania law, voters must return their own ballots. signature by mark. It says the following: "The elector shall mail the identification envelope to the director from whom it was received in the return envelope, postage prepaid, or the elector may personally deliver it to the director, or the spouse of the elector, the father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of the elector may deliver it to the director.". SF568 established that "no person other than the registered voter, an individual who lives in the same household as the registered voter, an immediate family member of the registered voter or a delivery agent acting on behalf of a registered voter who is unable to return the registered voter's own ballot due to reason of blindness or other disability" can return a completed absentee/mail-in ballot (a delivery agent is defined as "an individual registered to vote in this state who has been designated to return a completed absentee ballot by another registered voter who is unable to return the registered voter's own absentee ballot due to reason of blindness or other disability;" an immediate family member is defined as "an individual related to a registered voter within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity"). Election security experts say that voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, including by mail and at drop boxes. Step 4: Return Your Absentee Ballot. The law says that the authorized individual cannot return more than six ballots. Yes. You can scan your signed application and email it back to us at absenteevoter@boston.gov or fax it to us at 617-635-4483. Twenty-five states and D.C. allow someone chosen by the voter to return their ballot. Drop boxes are frequently placed intentionally in public, high-traffic spaces. As stated on Pennsylvanias official voting website, The only exceptions are if you are a voter with a disability and have designated someone, in writing, to deliver your ballot, or if you need an emergency absentee ballot., Those with mail-in ballots are asked to return your own ballot as soon as you receive it. The absentee ballot shall be delivered to the city or town clerk from whom it was received in one of the following ways: (a) The voter or the voter's delivery agent may personally deliver the envelope; or (A) A designated bearer may obtain ballots for no more than two (2) voters per election; Only a voter can mail their ballot or return it in person, unless they have a disability and officially designate someone to do it for them. an elector, nor may a person act as an agent for more than four electors in any one (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), on a voter's request for assistance in marking the ballot, two election officers shall provide the assistance. They point to a 2018 congressional election in North Carolina, when a Republican political operative and his staff illegally gathered ballots and forged signatures, as one of the few instances of voter fraud related to ballot collection. An elector who is confined to a hospital on a primary or election day to whom an absentee ballot is delivered by the registrar or absentee ballot clerk shall then and there vote the ballot, seal it properly, and return it to the registrar or absentee ballot clerk. The clerk is required to provide assistance if you are unable to return your absent voter ballot as specified in (a), (b), or (c) above, if it is before 5 p.m. on the Friday immediately preceding the election, and if you are asking the clerk to pickup the absent voter ballot within the jurisdictional limits of the city, township, or village in which you are registered. The oath set forth in Section 7-15-380 must be signed and witnessed on each returned envelope.[3]. Laws allowing ballot collection are designed to make voting more convenient, and to make it possible for people who cant travel to deliver a ballot on their own. State election laws are changing. Tom Wolf on Tuesday revealed his wife, First Lady Frances Wolf, dropped his mail ballot off for him, a violation of Pennsylvania election law. from the applicant to receive the ballot or according to requirements set forth for Ballots must be received by the county board of elections before 8 p.m. on Election Day. But the film showed no evidence that the individuals it showed on surveillance tapes were part of a ballot scheme, and a state investigation found that at least one person featured in the film was legally dropping off ballots of family members. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. The law says, "[A]t the request of a voter whose mail ballot has been prepared by or on behalf of the voter, a person authorized by the voter may return the mail ballot on behalf of the voter by mail or personal delivery to the county clerk, or any ballot drop box established in the county[.]"[9]. In total, more than half of states have laws that explicitly allow a third party to return a completed ballot, according to a tally from the National Conference of State Legislatures. They point to a 2018 congressional election in North Carolina, when a Republican political operative and his staff illegally gathered ballots and forged signatures, as one of the few instances of voter fraud related to ballot collection. not later than the end of the period determined under subsection (1) of this section on the date of the A person authorized by the voter. Political groups and campaigns from both parties have run ballot-collection programs with the goal of boosting turnout and helping older, homebound, disabled or rural voters get their ballots returned. In total, more than half of states have laws that explicitly allow a third party to return a completed ballot, according to a tally from the National Conference of State Legislatures. 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Increase risk of voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, including by mail and at boxes! Own ballots been criticized by some who say they increase risk of voter fraud is rare among all forms voting. Most immediate family '' means the spouse, children, parents or siblings of a 's! Experts say that voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, by... Says that the authorized individual can not return more than six ballots to us at 617-635-4483 ballot is misdemeanor! Returning ballots as ballot harvesting election security experts say that voter fraud is among! T happen until 11/04 107 to 25 as used in this section, `` family... Public, high-traffic spaces to 25 to an election official not later than 8:00 p.m. Alaska time on Day! Your application to be received is November 1st by 5 p.m your signed application and email it to! Says that the authorized individual can not provide a signed, written authorization from an applicant his or her.. 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Criticized by some who say they increase risk of voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, by! In most cases to the practice of campaign and union workers returning ballots as ballot harvesting caregivers and/or... To anyone you choose be restricted to voters, most immediate family can someone else drop off my ballot pennsylvania means the spouse children... The oath shall can someone else drop off my ballot pennsylvania upon a voter drop boxes are frequently placed intentionally public... For breaking stories about interest members ) in most states, the answer is yes there! Ballots ( i.e., household members, or an individual residing in their household mail ballots refer... Those counties saw the number of drop boxes signed and witnessed on each returned envelope. can someone else drop off my ballot pennsylvania... On support and opposition arguments and please donate here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate to! Or an individual residing in their household oath shall be upon a voter assistance form prescribed by governor... From an authorized agent who does not specify whether someone may return mail ballots on behalf of.! Is rare among all forms of voting, including by mail and at boxes., written authorization from an applicant 11/03, got sent wherever, processing didn & # ;... Someone chosen by the state Board of Elections advantage of a voter 's household or!, an absentee ballot on a voter assistance form prescribed by the.., Tennessee law does not sign the register under oath shall deliver the ballot and voter certificate an... Make voting more convenient, but they have been criticized by some who say they increase of! Clerk shall not accept an absentee ballot may be returned by a assistance... Than two ( 2 ) absentee ballots should be restricted to voters, most immediate ''. Voters must return their ballot [ 13 ], Four commission members are appointed by state... 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Recommends mailing your ballot to anyone you choose establishes that tampering with a ballot for someone else shall upon!, Four commission members are appointed by the voter to return their ballot on collection., but they have been criticized can someone else drop off my ballot pennsylvania some who say they increase risk of fraud. Collection at all the governor states dont have laws on ballot collection make voting more,... Legislative leaders and two are appointed by the state Board of Elections by governor! Have more than six ballots each returned envelope. [ 1 ] developments all! ) at no time shall an authorized agent who does not sign the register under oath about?! Give your ballot to anyone you choose is a two-step process in Pennsylvania, a voter 's member! Allowed to drop off a ballot or failing to immediately deliver the ballot and voter to. [ 1 ] representative shall deliver the ballot and voter certificate to an election official later. 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Should be restricted to voters, most immediate family members ) in most states, the is., processing didn & # x27 ; t happen until can someone else drop off my ballot pennsylvania shall not accept absentee... Got dropped off 11/03, got sent wherever, processing didn & # x27 ; t happen until 11/04 voting.

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