Where can I drop off my mail ballot?

Where you can drop it off

You don't have to mail your ballot back. You can take it in yourself. It must go to your own county's election office or to a drop-off place your county has set up.

Stamps are only needed for mailing. You don't need a stamp to drop off your ballot in person.

• Your county election office, during its business hours.
• An official drop box or drop-off site, if your county has one. Not every county does.
• A satellite election office, if your county opens one. This is an extra county election office. Some may be open extra hours, such as weeknights or weekends.

How to find places and hours near you

Each county picks its own drop-off places and sets its own hours. The state's ballot return page tells voters to check their county's website for this information.

• Go to your county election office's website. The state's Contact Your County page lists all 67 counties, with a phone number and website for each.
• Or call your county election office and ask where and when you can drop off your ballot.
• Check again as Election Day gets closer, in case anything has changed.
• Can't find your county's information? Call us at (267) 209-3397, and we can help you look.

Get it there by 8 p.m. on November 3

Your county must receive your ballot by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. A postmark doesn't count. A ballot that arrives late won't be counted. The state says to return your ballot as soon as you can after you fill it out. If Election Day is close, drop it off in person instead of mailing it. Don't wait until the last hour.

Before you drop it off, make sure your ballot is ready:

• Put your ballot in the yellow secrecy envelope marked "Official Election Ballot" and seal it. Don't write or make any marks on this envelope.
• Put the yellow envelope inside the outer return envelope and seal it. You must use both envelopes, even when you drop your ballot off.
• Sign AND write today's date in the voter's declaration. That is the signature section on the outside of the outer return envelope. If you don't sign it, your ballot will not be counted.
• After you drop it off, you can use the state's online ballot tracker to see if your county has recorded it.

Two rules to know

You can't turn in your finished mail ballot at your polling place. But if it's Election Day and you haven't sent your mail ballot back, you can vote at your polling place instead. Bring your ballot and its outer return envelope and hand them to the poll workers. Then you can vote a regular ballot there. If you don't have both, you can vote a provisional ballot. That is a special ballot the county reviews after Election Day to decide if it can be counted.

Under Pennsylvania law, you must return your own ballot. No one else can drop it off for you, not even your husband or wife. For a regular mail ballot, there is one exception. If you have a disability, you can pick someone to return your ballot for you. To do this, fill out the state's Designated Agent Form. You fill out the top half, and your helper fills out the bottom half. Your helper must have the completed form with them when they pick up or return your ballot. Your helper can't be your employer, someone acting for your employer, or an officer or agent of your union.

Emergency absentee ballots follow different rules. If an emergency, like a sudden illness, comes up close to Election Day, call your county election office.

Related

• Request a mail ballot
• Check your registration
• Where to vote on Election Day
• The 7-step mail ballot checklist
• Get help from a real person