WAGNER, HALLAM AMONG OFFICIALS URGING VOTERS TO “BRING IT!” TO ENSURE VOTES ARE COUNTED

Voters with Mail Ballot Packages Must Submit Them In Full Before Election Day or Cancel at Polling Locations

A group of local elected officials and community leaders convened by Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner and Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam has issued an informational video urging County voters to “Bring It!,” referring to any mail-in ballot packages still in the hand of voters.

“We’ve each encountered many voters who now prefer to vote in person on Election Day, but who earlier applied for mail-in ballots,” Wagner and Hallam said. “These voters may not be aware that state law requires mail-in ballot packages to be submitted in full to vote in person at your regular polling place on Election Day.”

The full mail-in ballot package consists of:

  • The ballot
  • The secrecy envelope
  • The declaration envelope

If a voter has lost, discarded, or never received their mail-in ballot package, they must visit or contact the Elections Division to have their ballot reissued, or will have to vote by Provisional Ballot.

“If you show up on Election Day and your voter record indicates you have applied for a mail-in ballot but you do not have the entire ballot package with you, you will have to vote by a Provisional Ballot, which cannot be counted before further investigation by the Elections Division. While Provisional Ballots are a useful tool under exceptional circumstances, no voter should rely on them this Election Day while other options remain,” Wagner and Hallam said.

“The most important thing for voters to do at this point to ensure their vote counts is to ‘Bring It!’”

Voters can still submit their own completed mail-in ballots at the drop box in the County Office Building lobby, 542 Forbes Ave., Downtown, during extended hours—8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through November 2; and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters who have lost or discarded their mail-in ballot, or have not yet received it, can vote in person at the County Elections Division, 6th Floor, County Office Building, during regular office hours—8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. October 27 through October 30, November 2, and Election Day.

To vote in person at their regular polling location on Election Day, voters must bring their full mail-in ballot package to have it cancelled. However, given what is expected to be a busy Election Day amid COVID-19 protocols, Wagner and Hallam urged voters to take advantage of remaining early voting options if at all possible.

“Hundreds of thousands of County voters have already utilized the safe, secure ballot drop off and early voting locations provided by the Elections Division, and early votes will start being counted as soon as polls open on Election Day. We hope all voters who can will do their part to help our polling place workers run a smooth, safe election by utilizing the County Office Building drop box if possible,” Wagner and Hallam said.

“Special thanks as well to our Pittsburgh City Council members, who have opened their parking locations on Fourth Ave. alongside the City-County Building to voters utilizing the drop box or Elections Division office.”

Joining Wagner and Hallam to urge voters to “Bring It!” Were:

  • Pa. State Senator Jay Costa
  • Pa. State Senator Lindsay Williams
  • Pa. State Rep. Ed Gainey
  • Pa. State Rep.-Elect Emily Kinkead
  • Allegheny County Councilwoman Liv Bennett
  • Pittsburgh City Councilman Dan Lavelle
  • Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson
  • Allegheny-Fayette Labor Council President Darrin Kelly

View or download the “Bring It!” Video here.