(ELECTIONS) Final Arrangements in Place for Next Week’s Primary Election Day

PITTSBURGH – The Elections Division today reminded voters of arrangements in place and tools available to them in advance of the Primary Election Day, May 16, 2023.

Mail-In and Absentee Voters

In order for mail-in and absentee ballots to be counted, the Elections Division must receive them by 8 PM on Election Day, May 16. As of 4 PM yesterday, 63,218 of the 106,498 requested ballots had been returned, or approximately 59%.

As a reminder, voters will be able to go to the Ross Street entrance of the building located at 542 Forbes Avenue and return their ballot to Elections staff located directly inside of those doors. As has been done in the past, the right lane of Ross Street, closest to the County Office Building, will be sectioned off during those hours to allow motorists to easily pull over near the entrance and return their completed ballot.

If a voter has made an error on their ballot, or has not received one previously applied for, the Elections Office can reissue the ballot at the counter. The kiosk set up in the lobby of the County Office Building, 542 Forbes Avenue, remains open for that purpose during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Voters are reminded of the following:

State law requires that voters return their own ballot; they may not return the ballots of others.
Ballots must be placed in the secrecy envelope; “naked” ballots will not be counted.
Voters should not mark the secrecy envelope in any way. If it is marked, it may not be counted.
Voters must sign and date the declaration envelope; if either the signature or date, or both, are missing, the ballot cannot be counted. The voter should date their declaration envelope with the date that they complete it.

Voters who have applied for a mail-in or absentee ballot may not return their voted ballot to the polling place but can surrender their ballot and the declaration envelope to poll workers and will be issued a new ballot if they choose that option. Voters who do not have their ballot and declaration envelope will be required to vote a provisional ballot.

Emergency Absentee Ballots

Now that the deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot has passed, voters may still be eligible for an emergency absentee ballot if they cannot make it to the polls. Voters who become physically disabled or ill or have found out that they will now be absent from their municipality of residence on Election Day may apply for an Emergency Absentee Ballot. Voters may apply in person, at the counter, in the Elections Division and will receive their ballot and materials while there and can vote and return their ballot while in the office.

If the voter is unable to come to the Elections Division, they may download and complete the application and designate an authorized representative to deliver the application and pick up the ballot for them. To return the ballot in person, the voter must again designate an authorized representative for that purpose.

Learn more at https://alleghenycounty.us/elections/emergency-absentee-ballots.aspx.

On Election Day

All 1,324 polling places will be open on Election Day. Hours are from 7 AM to 8 PM and anyone in line at 8 PM will be allowed to vote. Please note that only voters registered as Democrats or Republicans will be voting in this election as they select nominees in the primary to represent their party in the November general election. The one exception is in Mt. Lebanon Ward 3 where there is a special election. In that ward, all voters may participate in that election.

A total of 29 polling places changed since the general election. Voters in those precincts have been sent a mailing to advise them of where they will be voting on Election Day. Additionally, notices will be posted on the old locations to redirect voters accordingly.

The Elections Division encourages voters to verify their registration and polling place prior to going to vote.

Voter can check their voter registration status here: https://www.votespa.com/Register-to-Vote/Pages/Check-Your-Voter-Registration-Status.aspx.

The state’s polling place locator is available at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/pollingplaceinfo.aspx. Please note that the state’s site is set up to use a voter’s mailing address, NOT their municipality.

Lastly, voters can view a sample ballot in advance of going to the polls by using the county’s sample ballot application available here: https://www.alleghenycounty.us/elections/sample-ballots.aspx. Voters do need to know their municipality, ward and district. If unknown, that information is also available by using the state’s polling place locator.

Pre-Canvassing and Canvassing

The Elections Division will begin the pre-canvassing of mail-in and absentee ballots at 7 AM on Election Day at its warehouse on the North Side. By state law, tabulation and reporting of results cannot occur until polls close at 8 PM. Preliminary results from mail-in and absentee ballots are expected to be reported out shortly after polls close and will continue to be updated throughout the evening. Typically, election results from polling places begin reporting by 9 PM. All results will be available on the county’s website at https://alleghenycounty.us/elections/election-results.aspx.