What if I get sick or go into the hospital right before Election Day?

Who can get an emergency absentee ballot

This ballot is for registered voters who have a sudden problem close to Election Day. On the state's application form, you check one of the reasons below. Then you explain what happened in a few words.

If it is still before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, you don't need an emergency ballot. Apply for a regular mail ballot the usual way, online or on paper. Your county must receive your application by 5 p.m. that day, so don't mail a paper form at the last minute. See our mail ballot page for help.

• An illness or physical disability kept you from applying before the regular deadline.
• You got sick or disabled after the regular deadline, and now you can't go to your polling place on Election Day.
• Your job, business, or work duties kept you from applying by the deadline.
• Your job, business, or work duties will take you out of your municipality (your city, borough, or township) on Election Day, and you could not have known that before the deadline.

Key dates for the November 3, 2026 election

Mail may be too slow this close to the election. The state's form suggests picking up your ballot and returning it in person. A helper can do that for you (see below).

• By 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 27: your county must receive your regular mail ballot application, if you can still apply that way.
• After 5 p.m. October 27 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 3: you can turn in an emergency absentee ballot application to your county election office.
• By 8 p.m. November 3: your county election office must RECEIVE your completed ballot. A postmark does not count.
• Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 3, if you feel well enough to vote in person.

How to apply

Office hours and steps vary by county, so call your county election office first. If you can't go there yourself, ask how they want the application turned in. Also ask if they need anything else from you.

For questions, you can call the Pennsylvania Department of State's voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772). Keystone Ballot is a private group, not a government office. But you can call us at (267) 209-3397 if you need help getting a paper form or going through the steps.

• Get the form. It is called the Pennsylvania Application for Emergency Absentee Ballot. It is on the Pennsylvania Department of State website in English, Spanish, and Chinese. You can also ask your county election office for one.
• Print your name and address exactly as they appear on your voter record.
• For ID, use your PA driver's license or PennDOT ID number if you have one. If you don't, use the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have neither, check the box that says so, and ask your county if they need a copy of an ID from you.
• Check your reason and briefly explain what happened. You are signing a statement that it is true, so be accurate.
• Sign and date the form. If your illness or disability means you can't sign, you can make a mark instead, with help if you need it. A witness must then sign and write their address.

If someone needs to pick up and return your ballot

If you can't go to the county office, you can name a helper in writing. The law calls this person an authorized representative. The state has a form for this called Authorize a Representative to Pick up and/or Return Emergency Absentee Ballot. You and your helper both sign it. One person can be the helper for more than one voter.

Your helper brings the signed form to the county office, picks up your ballot, and brings it to you. After you fill out your ballot and seal it in its envelopes, your helper takes it back to the county office. The state's form says the form and your ballot must be there by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Your helper may only return a ballot you have already filled out and sealed. Ask your county what your helper needs to bring.

If you have no one to help, tell your county election office. State law lets the county provide a helper. It also lets the county ask a judge to send a deputy sheriff to bring you your ballot and take it back, if you are staying in the same county. Ask your county what they can do.

Already have a regular mail ballot? Fill it out and return it. Under state law, you must return your own mail ballot. The only exception is for voters with a disability. They can name someone in writing to deliver it, using the state's Designated Agent Form or a county form. That helper can't be your employer or a union officer. If you are sick and can't return your ballot, call your county election office to ask what to do.

• Sign AND date the outer return envelope where it asks. If you don't sign it, your ballot will not be counted. Always write the date too.
• If you need help marking your ballot, you must name that helper in writing. The helper must also sign a statement that they helped you. Ask your county how to do this.
• Once you return your emergency ballot, you can't also vote a regular ballot at your polling place.
• If you get your ballot but can't return it in time, and you are well enough to go to your polling place, bring the ballot and its outer return envelope with you. Poll workers will cancel them, and then you can vote on a regular ballot.
• If you don't have them with you, you can vote a provisional ballot. That is a special ballot that is kept separate until the county checks that you are eligible and did not already vote.

Related

• Request a mail ballot
• Where to vote on Election Day
• Check your registration
• Get help from a real person
• More common questions