Voter Registration Deadline For May Primary: May 1

MEDIA, PA —Delaware County Elections reminds voters that voting by mail in Pennsylvania is quick, convenient, and secure.

Last November, more than 58,000 Delaware County voters participated with vote-by-mail ballots, accounting for more than one-fifth of all ballots cast.

Voters who wish to vote by mail must submit an application to request their vote-by-mail ballot. The application must include a valid ID.

Key dates to vote in the May 16 primary:

• May 1 – Last day to register to vote;
• May 9 - Last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot
• May 16 - Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Ballots are not mailed to voters automatically, even if the person voted by mail previously.
To apply for a vote-by-mail ballot, Delaware County-registered voters can visit the DelcoVotes! website and complete the online application or download and complete a paper application

Voters can also receive, fill out, and submit a vote-by-mail application in person at the Voter Service Center, located on the first floor of the Government Center Building, at 201 W. Front St., in Media, PA.

If approved, a voter will be scheduled to receive a vote-by-mail ballot for both elections to be held in 2023 – the May Primary and the November Municipal Election—weeks before Election Day.

For the upcoming May 16 Primary Election, vote-by-mail ballots are scheduled to be mailed to voters in mid-April.

Once received, voters will find that completing vote-by-mail is easy, though voters must be sure to follow these three steps to ensure their ballot is counted:

• Mark the ballot.
• Place the ballot in the white secrecy envelope and seal that envelope.
• Place the secrecy envelope in the Ballot Return Envelope, and sign, date, and seal the return envelope.

Once completed and properly sealed, Delaware County voters have several convenient options for returning the ballot.

Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned to the Bureau of Elections through the voter’s regular mail carrier, mailed back at any USPS Post Office or blue box, delivered in person at the Delaware County Voter Service Center in Media, or dropped off at any of the County’s more than three dozen red, white and blue drop boxes located in municipalities across the County.

County ballot drop boxes are scheduled to open on May 1 for the May 16 Primary Election. All Delaware County drop boxes are ADA-compliant and under 24/7 video surveillance.

Ballots must be received by the bureau by 8 p.m. on Election Night, so voters are advised to return their ballot in person or through a county drop box instead of relying on USPS near or on Election Day. By law, ballots that arrive after 8 p.m. cannot be counted.

A complete list of Delaware County ballot drop boxes, including street addresses, can be found here.

For more information call, Delaware County Election Hotline at (610) 891-VOTE, or visit the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/vote. Or visit Voter Services at 201 West Front St., Media, 19063, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.