How To Vote By Absentee Or Mail-In Ballot In The Primary Election

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania voters have two options to receive and vote a ballot prior to Pennsylvania’s Primary Election on April 23. Voters may request either an absentee ballot or a mail-in ballot to complete and return to the Franklin County Voter Registration Office by 8 pm April 23. Military and overseas civilian voters must submit a Federal Post Card by visiting www.fvap.gov. 

Absentee ballots are for voters who meet any of the following criteria:

• Voters who will be absent from their voting districts the entire time the polls are open on Election Day;
• Voters who cannot go to their polls due to illness or disability;
• Voters who cannot go to their polls due to observation of a religious holiday; or
• Voters who are incarcerated and have not been convicted of a felony

Mail-in ballots are for voters who wish to vote by mail instead of voting at their polls on Election Day.

Voters may request an absentee or mail-in ballot application online at www.votepa.gov. Voters may also request a ballot by visiting the Franklin County Voter Registration Office at 272 N. Second St., Chambersburg, or by calling 717-261-3886.

Voters must complete and return applications for absentee ballots or mail-in ballots to the Franklin County Voter Registration Office by 4:30 p.m. April 16. Voters who need emergency ballots after the deadline may call the  Franklin County Voter Registration Office at 717-261-3886 for more information.

Franklin County began mailing out ballots on March 28. Voters must return their completed ballots, by mail or in person, to the Franklin County Voter Registration Office by 8 p.m. April 23. Completed ballots must be physically received by the office by 8 p.m - postmarks are not enough.  The Franklin County Voter Registration Office is open Monday through Friday,8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The office will be open until 8 p.m. on Election Day.  Voters may only hand deliver their own ballots to hand deliver a ballot for another voter, the voter must complete Designated Agent Authorization Form, available  on Franklin County website, www.franklincountypa.gov, or at the Franklin County Voter Registration Office.

Voters are not permitted to turn in their completed ballots at their polling locations. Voters who receive absentee or mail-in ballots and want to vote at their polling locations on Election Day must surrender their ballots and declaration envelopes to the Judge of Elections to be voided. Voters will then fill out a declaration form and will be given regular ballots to vote. Voters who do not surrender their ballots and declaration envelopes will be allowed to vote on provisional ballots.

Any questions concerning absentee or mail-in ballots should be directed to the Franklin County Voter Registration Office at 717-261-3886 or the Franklin County Election Board at 717-261-3812. A You can also find additional election information is also available on the Franklin County’s website, at www.franklincountypa.gov.

Notice to Republican Primary Voters

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has ordered the name Joseph A. Vodvarka to be removed from the Republican primary ballot as a candidate for U.S. Senator. However, the candidate appealed the decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In order to meet ballot printing and mailing deadlines, Franklin County had to finalize its ballot before the appeal could be settled andVodvarka was included on the ballot in case his appeal was successful. 

Please be advised that the candidate has been removed from the ballot by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Any votes cast for Vodvarka, other than by a write-in vote, will not be counted or reported.

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