Voting in PA in Times of COVID19

On June 2, Pennsylvania will hold its primary election. Some of you will say, "What does it matter? The presidential nominees have already been decided." But if you want to vote against either of those choices, there are choices on both parties' ballots (I'll cover them in another blog). There are other offices on the ballot, too. No choices on the GOP Ballot, but Democrats have choices for Auditor General and State Senator.

But you may also be saying you don't feel safe going to the polls this year with a virus on the loose. No problem. This year in PA, you can vote by mail. It's like an absentee ballot, but you don't need a reason for absence. Every registered voter can do it.

Some people think absentee ballots aren't counted. Not true. I've worked at the local precinct on voting day and I can tell you that we stay late and count absentee ballots every time. This year workers will stay even later and count all the mail-in ballots. And election workers this year would RATHER be counting mail-in ballots than see voters who might potentially be carriers of COVID19 in person. It's going to be a 15-hour day for them at least, and despite masks, face shields and gloves, there will be few breaks for hand-washing. So do them a favor and, if you haven't already, apply for a mail-in ballot.

Here's how: First go to https://www.votespa.com/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx. Click on "Apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot." Follow the instructions. If you have a PA Drivers License #, you can request an ballot online. Easy. The State sends the request to your county, who'll look you up and approve or not approve your request (you might have to register to vote first, which you can also do on that website). If you're approved, a ballot will be mailed to you. They just started sending out ballots this week, so if you already applied, you'll likely have your ballot soon.

You have until May 18th to register to vote and until May 26th to request a mail-in ballot. Ballots must be received at your courthouse by June 2 at 8 pm. DO NOT bring them to your polling place. Don't wait until the last minute to do any of the above. PLEASE use Vote-By-Mail, for everyone's safety, your own and your family's included. If you insist on voting in person, WEAR A MASK to your polling place and this year, DON'T BRING YOUR CHILDREN. I love to see parents teaching their kids how voting is done, but this year it's too dangerous. Some kids who get COVID are getting a dangerous inflammation of the bloodstream with it. Come alone and observe physical distancing guidelines.

POLLING LOCATIONS
Some polling locations will change this year. Montgomery County will probably be using schools as locations because they're already closed. If you usually vote in a school, probably no change. They'll be deciding by May 11, and then I'll post the link where you can find your polling location. But hey, it won't matter if you sign-up for Vote-By-Mail.

I made the difficult decision this year not to work this election. I love doing it, but this year it's a job for younger, healthier people. If you're currently not working and need some extra money, the Montgomery County courthouse is looking for pollworkers. If you're interested, go to https://www.montcopa.org/759/Pollworkers for more information.