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Do not skip this

Make sure your ballot actually counts

Pennsylvania rejects thousands of mail ballots every election — almost all of it over paperwork. Here is every step, in order.

The single most common mistake

Your ballot comes with two envelopes, and you need to use both. Forgetting the small inner one is the mistake that ends the most ballots in Pennsylvania.

  1. 1

    Mark your ballot

    Fill in the ovals completely with blue or black ink. Do not use a red pen, do not circle anything, and do not sign the ballot itself.

  2. 2

    Put the ballot inside the small inner envelope

    This is the plain one marked “Official Election Ballot.” It has no address on it. Seal it.

    This is the one people skip. A ballot mailed back without this inner envelope is called a “naked ballot,” and Pennsylvania law says it cannot be counted. Nothing can fix it after the fact.

  3. 3

    Write nothing on the inner envelope

    No name, no initials, no notes. Marking it can get your ballot thrown out.

  4. 4

    Put the sealed inner envelope inside the larger return envelope

    This is the one with your county's address and the voter declaration printed on the outside.

  5. 5

    Sign the declaration on the outside of the return envelope

    Sign your name on the signature line. An unsigned declaration means the ballot does not count.

  6. 6

    Write today's date where the envelope asks for it

    Fill in the date you are actually signing it — not your birthday, and not Election Day.

    A missing or wrong date has been enough to get ballots set aside in Pennsylvania, and the courts are still deciding whether those ballots count. Don't leave it to chance — always write the day you sign.

  7. 7

    Send it back early

    Your county must physically receive it by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark does not count.

How to return it

There are up to three ways to return it. Whichever you use, your ballot must reach the county by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3.

  • By mailDrop it in the mail at least one week ahead. If the return envelope doesn’t say the postage is already paid, put enough postage on it — your ballot instructions or county election office will say how much. A long ballot may need more than one stamp.
  • At a county drop boxNot every county has drop boxes. If yours does, it is the safest choice close to the deadline — your county election office lists the locations and hours.
  • In person at the county election officeYou may only return your own ballot, unless you have a disability and have filed the state’s designated-agent form.

Then check that it arrived

The Commonwealth lets you track your mail ballot the same way you would track a package. Check it a few days after you send it back.

Track my ballot(opens the official state website)Call my county election office(opens the official state website)

Want to read the rules in the Commonwealth’s own words? See the official mail-in and absentee ballot page.

If something went wrong

If your county flags a problem with your ballot, you may still have options — including voting by provisional ballot at your polling place on Election Day. Call us at (267) 209-3397 right away and we will walk you through it.