New satellite election office opens in Oakland
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A new satellite election office opened Tuesday in Oakland at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall.
The Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, and the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, remain the two biggest presidential choices. However, there are varying options for voting, with many counting the days until the Nov. 5 election to cast their ballots.
"We gave people another option other than standing in line at the polls," said Jessica Garofolo, Director of Administrative Services in Allegheny County.
Satellite election offices were around in 2020 during the pandemic, and are back again in 2024.
"It feels like you're just showing up to vote. You're skipping the whole step of going to the polls," Garofolo added. "You're showing up here, you're getting a mail-in ballot, if you're not registered to vote, you can register, [and] you get your ballot on the spot. You can take it home with you, or you can fill it out and turn it in here."
There is a difference between absentee ballots and mail-in ballots. For an absentee, your application has to prove you are unable to vote in person. For a mail-in ballot, any registered voter is eligible. You are required to fill out the form with your name, address, and other basic information.
If you missed the deadline for the event on Tuesday because it only ran until 4 p.m., you can also do the same thing on Wednesday and Thursday.
If you can't get to this location this week, over the next two weekends, they will also have satellite locations at CCAC in Homewood, North and South Parks, and the Allegheny County offices in Downtown Pittsburgh.