Montgomery County Board of Elections announced it will install 12 secure ballot drop-off boxes throughout the county to help voters meet the May 16 Primary Election deadline.
Completed mail-in ballots and absentee ballots may be dropped off starting Saturday, May 6 at 8 a.m. and voter education staff will be on site to inform voters on proper ballot return practices. Ballots placed in the secure ballot boxes will be delivered daily to the Montgomery County Voter Services by County Sheriffs, and date stamped when they are received.
Voter Services Satellite Offices will also be available on weekends beginning April 29 for any voters that prefer to apply for their ballot in person before the May 9 deadline to apply. Residents can apply for a mail-in ballot, receive it, complete it, and place it in a secure ballot box at these locations. Satellite offices are in Norristown, Willow Grove, Narberth, Lansdale, and Pottstown. Appointments are not required. Voters can visit any location. Voter Services Satellite offices are available until May 7 based on the schedule below.
"Registered voters can cast their ballot by mail, at a satellite office or in person on Election Day," said Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr., Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Elections. "The deadline to register for this election is May 1. The deadline to request a mail-in or absentee ballot for this election is May 9. Our goal is to continue to make voting accessible, secure, and convenient for all our residents."
Voters can also check the status of their mail-in ballot online by visiting www.montcopa.org/VoteByMail. Ballot status will update when the Election Board has received it. All mail-in ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on May 16.
Any voter who was approved for a mail-in or absentee ballot and later decides to vote in person may do so. Voters should bring their ballot and envelopes to the polls with them to be voided by a poll worker, enabling the voter to vote in person. If a voter does not bring their mail-in ballot and return envelope, they can fill out a provisional ballot, which will only be counted after verification that the election board has not received a mail-in ballot.
Each year, some polling locations get relocated due to space or other capacity needs. Residents should check their polling location by visiting www.montcopa.org/VoteInPerson.
2023 Primary Election Secure Ballot Drop Box Locations and Hours of Operation:
Secure drop-off boxes are available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May 6 through May 16 at the following locations unless otherwise noted. All locations will have Voter Education staff present.
Voter Services Satellite Offices will be available during the following days and times:
Lansdale County Office
421 W. Main Street, Lansdale
Available on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, May 7, from 11 a.m. until 4
p.m.
Magisterial District Judges
Office of Lower Merion
925 Montgomery Avenue, Narberth
Available on Sunday, April 30, and Saturday, May 6, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Montgomery County Office of
Public Health Pottstown
364 King Street, Pottstown
Available on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, May 7, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Willow Grove Annex
102 N. York Road, Willow Grove
Available on Sunday, April 30, and Saturday, May 6, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Norristown: Voter Services
Office
One Montgomery Plaza – 6th Floor
425 Swede Street, Norristown
Available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April
29, and Sunday, May 7, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Before dropping mail-in or absentee ballots into the drop-off box, voters must make sure their completed ballot is placed inside the smaller, yellow secrecy envelope first. Then, put the sealed secrecy envelope into the white, official return envelope and complete the voter declaration on the back. When dating the declaration, take care to include the month, day, and year of the date you are signing. Ballots that are not in both envelopes or have incomplete Voter’s declarations cannot be counted per Pennsylvania Election Code.
Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Election Code, voted ballots may only be returned by the individual voter and not by any other individuals. All drop box locations are monitored using CCTV video surveillance and are staffed by Voter Services. Anyone depositing a ballot that does not belong to them will be referred to the District Attorney’s Office.
If a voter has an illness or disability that will prevent
them from dropping off their ballot, they can designate an agent to pick up or
drop off their ballot. The agent may return the completed form and ballot by mail,
at a secure drop-box location or to Voter Services, 425 Swede St., 6th Floor, Norristown.
The first section should be signed by the voter, and the second section should
be signed by the agent.
The Certification of Designated Agent form can be found at www.montcopa.org/VoterServices.
The last day to register to vote for the Primary Election is May 1. You must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of Pennsylvania 30 days before the election. You may register to vote and apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot at www.montcopa.org/VoteByMail. For more information about the May 16 Primary Election and where to vote, visit www.montcopa.org/voterservices or call (610) 278-3280.
The Pennsylvania Election Code limits access to the room where voting takes place to election workers, watchers, and those members of the public who are in the room for the purpose of casting a vote. No other people are permitted in that area. It is Montgomery County’s policy to not permit media to photograph inside polling places. However, photography is allowed 10 feet away from polling places outdoors.
