Pennsylvania voters have recently or will soon find an envelope from their county’s election office in their mailbox.
Inside is an application to vote by mail in the 2024 primary and general elections.
Some may wonder why they need to fill it out. After all, when widespread voting by mail was first approved in the state, people were invited to sign up to be on the permanent mail ballot list.
So what gives?
The permanent part of the 2019 law that expanded the use of mail voting doesn’t mean that voters will be sent mail ballots for every election. Instead, it means they will get annual applications to vote by mail.
Those applications have to be filled out each year for a voter to be sent mail ballots.
That means that even if a voter signed up to receive mail ballots for both elections in 2023, they will need to apply again in 2024.
How do I apply for a mail ballot?
Visit pavoterservices.pa.gov/OnlineAbsenteeApplication and follow the instructions.
What will I need for the application?
If you have a Pennsylvania driver’s license or state-issued PennDOT ID, you need to use that. If you don’t have either, use the last four digits of your Social Security number.
What’s the deadline to register for the April primary?
You have until 5 p.m. on April 16 to apply for a mail ballot for the April 23 primary.
What is the annual mail ballot list?
The program is an optional box you can check on the mail ballot application form. If you check the box, you will automatically be sent mail ballots for every 2024 election. But if you want to apply for a mail ballot for only one election at a time, do not check that box.
Voters enrolled in the annual mail ballot program will remain enrolled unless they actively cancel their status.
How do I know if I’m on the annual ballot list?
Go to the “Check Registration Status” tab on VotesPA.com, and enter your information. When your registration information is displayed, look for the question, “Are you an annual mail or absentee voter?”
If it says yes, you are already on the list. That means you will receive a renewal application in the mail from the county that you can mail back or you can skip the paperwork and fill out the application online.
If it says no, you are not yet signed up to be a “permanent” mail voter.
