Deadlines loom for voter registration and mail-in voting for midterm election
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The November general election is just over three weeks away, and it's pretty hard to miss that major offices are on the ballot this year.
As KDKA-TV political editor Jon Delano explains, it's not too late to register to vote or even to vote by mail.
You can't turn on the television without seeing dozens of ads for governor, senator, member of Congress or state legislature. If you are just now feeling the need to register to vote, there's still time, says David Voye, Allegheny County elections manager.
"October 24 is the last day," Voye said. "Your registration must be in our office by 5 pm."
That's next Monday, and Voye says every U.S. citizen at least 18 years of age who was a resident of Pennsylvania by Oct. 8 is eligible to vote. Voye says it's very easy to register.
"You can register online at vote.pa.gov, or you can come into our office and register at the county in person or by mail," says Voye.
The website covers every county in the state. Register online or go to your county elections department in person, but do it before next Monday afternoon.
That also includes those who have moved and changed addresses since they last voted.
"Either within the county or within the state, you can use the standard registration form, and there are options where you can check new registrations, change of address, change of party," says Voye. "And your record, your voting record, will actually be transferred from your old county of residence to Allegheny, and vice versa."
But don't forget, you will need identification if you are voting for the first time in a new precinct or polling place.
"First-time voters within a precinct are required to show ID. That could be a driver's license number. That could be a passport. That could be a military ID. That could even be a copy of an electric bill," Voye said.
And if you run out of time to change your address but really don't want to miss voting between John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz and Josh Shapiro and Doug Mastriano, you can still vote.
"You are permitted to go to your old polling place for one last time to vote, and then change your address to your new residence," says Voye.
If you're registered to vote, is it too late to vote by mail?
"No, it's not too late. The deadline is not until Nov. 1," says Melanie Ostrander, elections director in Washington County.
November 1, that's the deadline for applying for a mail-in ballot, says Ostrander, but that's awfully late because your county must get your completed ballot by 8 pm, Nov. 8, Election Day. You may not want to rely on the U.S. Postal Service.
"You can drop off your ballot at our office. We're open 8:30 to 4:30, Monday through Friday. And starting on Oct. 28, which is a Friday, we're going to have evening and weekend hours," says Voye.
That's in Allegheny County, says Voye, which will provide free parking on Ross Street next to the County Office Building.
Each county has its own rules on this. Ostrander says mail-in ballots are already up in Washington County.
"I anticipate that we're going to be very close to 20,000, if not slightly over, by the time the deadline comes," says Ostrander.
That compares to just 12,000 in the primary.
Allegheny County has already sent out nearly 160,000 mail-in ballots with nearly 63,000 already returned.
Both election officials predict the race for senator between Fetterman and Oz and for governor between Shapiro and Mastriano will drive up voter turnout.
"With the heavy media attention on this election, we'll hit 60 percent easily," says Ostrander.
"I think it will be higher than normal midterm elections, especially with all the commercials and media attention. I think turnout will be 65 percent, 60 percent," says Voye.
Click here to register to vote, click here to request a mail-in ballot and click here to update your voting information.
In West Virginia, the deadline to register to vote is Tuesday. Click here for more information.
