HARRISBURG, Pa. — Acting Secretary of State Leigh M. Chapman on Monday reminded Pennsylvanians of the Pennsylvania Department of State’s election night returns website, which will offer up-to-the-minute results from counties after the polls close at 8:00 p.m. on May 17.
“Voters, candidates, and the press can access this online resource, which provides the most comprehensive picture of how Pennsylvanians voted,” Chapman said. “The department will post unofficial results on the site as we receive reports from each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties after the polls close.”
People who visit electionreturns.pa.gov can customize their searches, receive timely updates, view results on mobile devices, use a location-based service through the “My County” link to instantly bring up their county’s election returns, and connect to each county’s election results website.
Chapman pointed out that Pennsylvania’s election laws do not currently allow counties to begin pre-canvassing mail-in and absentee ballots before 7 a.m. on Election Day, so the public must be patient as elections officials take the time to count every vote.
“While we know voters and candidates will be eager to know the results election night, ensuring each vote is accurately and securely counted is our top priority,” Chapman added.
To date, more than 805,000 Pennsylvania voters requested a mail-in ballot, and more than 103,000 requested an absentee ballot ahead of the primary election.
Other voting reminders
Chapman also reminded Pennsylvanians voting by mail-in or absentee ballot to return their voted ballot in person to their county board of elections as soon as possible. With just one day until the deadline, it is highly recommended that voters hand-deliver their mail ballots, Chapman noted. Voters can check vote.pa.gov to find ballot drop-off locations and hours for their county. The deadline for county board of elections to receive voted mail ballots is 8 p.m. on election night.
Voters who choose to hand-deliver their mail ballot must do it themselves. They may not have someone else return their ballot. The only exception is for voters with disabilities, who may designate an agent in writing using the designated agent form provided at vote.pa.gov.
Voters who have not voted by mail ballot can vote in person at their polling place. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters who applied for and received a mail ballot but prefer to vote in person at the polls must bring their entire unvoted mail ballot packet with them to be voided, including both the security and outer declaration envelopes. If a voter surrenders their entire mail ballot packet, they will be able to vote at the polls.
If a voter applied for a mail ballot but did not return it and does not have the entire packet to surrender at the polling place, they may vote by provisional ballot at the polls on Election Day.
On May 17, voters who are registered as Republican or Democrat will choose their parties’ nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. senator, U.S. representative, state representative, and state senator (in half of the state Senate districts), as well as elect Democratic and Republican State Committee members. All registered voters will be able to vote on any local ballot questions, and all voters in the 5th State Senatorial District in Philadelphia will be able to vote in a special election on Election Day.
Voters appearing at a polling place for the first time will need to show proper identification, which may be either photo or non-photo ID.
For complete information about voting in Pennsylvania, visit vote.pa.gov, where services are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. You can also call the Department of State’s toll-free year-round voter hotline, 1-800-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772), or follow the hashtag #ReadytoVotePA on social media.
