How, Where, When to Vote
As many of you are aware, voting this fall will be different due to the pandemic. Due to our current reality, voters have several options on how to cast their ballots. As we near the election, I wanted to outline them here so that everyone can update themselves on where they can vote and how they can vote while ensuring that their vote counts.
First, make sure you are registered to vote. If you are not, you can still do it HERE.
Option #1: Show up at your polling location on Election Day
Every registered voter has the option to go to the polls and cast their ballot on election day. Even if you requested a mail in ballot, you can still show up at the polls with your mail-in ballot and envelopes and they will “spoil” the mail-in version for you and then you can vote as you would normally. If you did not receive a mail-in ballot or you are unsure if your mail-in ballot was received in time or might be late, you can go to your polling location and cast a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots are counted in the event your mail-in ballot was not received or received late. If your mail-in was received on time, your provisional is discarded and is not counted.
Polling locations are slightly changed this year. People who typically vote at Elm Terrace need to visit Knapp Elementary School to cast their ballots in person. This was done to protect seniors in the facility from the COVID-19 pandemic. All other polling locations are the same as they usually are and can be found HERE for reference. If you have never voted and do not know where to vote, HERE is a link to find that out.
Option #2: Mail-in your vote
If you have registered to vote by mail/absentee this year, you should be receiving your ballot in the mail shortly. If you do not receive your ballot, please reach out to Montgomery County Voter Services to find out why. You can email them at voters@montcopa.org. If it does not come by election day, please cast a provisional ballot at your polling location.
Once you have your mail-in ballot, you must complete the ballot and then do the following:
Seal the ballot in the security envelope.
Seal the security envelope (with the ballot in it) in the outer envelope.
Sign the outer envelope and mail back/postmarked before 8:00 PM on Nov. 3rd. to be received by voter services before 5:00 PM on Nov. 6th.
Once signed and mailed, voters should receive a notification from voter services that their ballot has been received (in the form of an email). This acts as confirmation that your vote was counted. If you do not receive and email, please reach out to voter services to confirm your ballot was cast.
Option #2A: Mail-in ballot submitted via drop box location or at a county office
If you are uncomfortable with mailing your ballot and you would prefer to put it into the drop box location, you can do that. However, please remember you must follow all the steps above and you cannot drop off anyone else’s ballot without them being present. The Dropbox location in Lansdale will be at:
Church Road Parking Lot, 226 Station Square Blvd, Lansdale, PA 19446.
This box will be operational during the following times:
Oct. 3 – Oct. 30:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday - 9 a.m. through 4 p.m.
Tuesday & Thursday – 11 a.m. through 6 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday – 11 a.m. through 4 p.m.
Oct. 31 & Nov. 1:
Saturday & Sunday – 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
Nov. 2 & Nov. 3:
Monday & Tuesday – 9 a.m. through 8 p.m.
Again, if you drop your mail-in ballot off at a box you should receive an email from voter services alerting you to your ballot being counted. Finally, if you would like to drop off your ballot at the county office in Lansdale, you can do so at 421 W. Main St. in Lansdale during normal operating hours.
Please plan to vote this fall and organize how you are going to vote early to ensure your vote is counted. If you are unsure if you signed up for a mail in ballot, and want to check on the status of your ballot, you can do so HERE. If you are confused in any way, or just have concerns about voting this fall, please do not hesitate to reach out to either myself at mayor@lansdale.org or by reaching out to voter services directly.
Make a plan to vote and follow through. See you at the polls!