Enormous Number Of Allegheny Co. Mail-In Ballots Still Not Returned

PITTSBURGH, PA — With five days to go until Election Day, tens of thousands of mail-in ballots sent by the Allegheny County Elections Division have yet to be returned.

The county sent 254,590 mail-in ballots to residents who requested them. As of Thursday afternoon, elections division has received slightly more than 195,000. That amounts to nearly 60,000 outstanding ballots - nearly 25 percent of the total number sent.

According to the county, 79 percent of ballots sent to Democrats have been received; 75 percent of ballots sent to Republicans are in and 65 percent of ballots sent to others have been returned.

The window for the county to receive the ballots closes at the same time the polls do on Tuesday: 8 p.m.

The United States Postal Service earlier this week suggested that all ballots be mailed by Oct. 29, which also was the deadline for people to apply for mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. It typically takes a day to process applications, and then as many as three days for the ballot to reach the vote.

“We strongly encourage voters who are still holding on to their mail-in ballots to use one of our 10 ballot return sites across the county," Elections Division Manager Dave Volpe said. "If we receive a ballot after 8 p.m. on Election Day, even if it is postmarked Election Day or earlier, we cannot accept it.”

For information on ballot drop-off locations, click here.