WEST CHESTER, PA — For this year’s May 16 Primary Election, Chester County voters who choose to vote by mail-in or absentee ballot will notice the addition of color to the ballot pack they receive. Chester County’s Department of Voter Services has added the color orange to the mail-in ballot secrecy envelope and an orange stripe to the return declaration envelope to help clarify the steps that must be taken to correctly complete and return a mail-in or absentee ballot. And to help clearly demonstrate the mail-in and absentee ballot process, Chester County Voter Services has produced a video detailing the steps to complete and return a mail-in ballot for the Primary Election.
In addition to highlighting all steps in completing a mail-in or absentee ballot, the video explains how the ballots can be returned and notes important deadlines in the voting process.
Director of Voter Services Karen Barsoum, who narrates the video, said, “Voter Services is continually reviewing the ways that ensure the process for everyone who chooses to vote by mail-in or absentee ballots is as straightforward as possible, so that their ballot is counted. Not just how to fill in the ballot, but to make sure the ballot is prepared the right way for mailing.
“Once their mail-in or absentee ballot is completed, voters should place the ballot inside the secrecy envelope and seal it, then place it inside the pre-addressed declaration envelope, which should be sealed, signed and dated. This year, that secrecy envelope is solid orange, to make it distinct from the declaration envelope, which has an orange stripe.”
Barsoum continued, “This video is one of the ways Voter Services works to ensure a smooth and easy voting experience for Chester County voters, and it joins the library of informational videos that cover all aspects of voting and elections that are available at www.chesco.org/elections.”
Voters may request a mail-in or absentee ballot by filling out an online application or submitting a paper application. In Chester County, those voters will receive a kit containing a declaration envelope with an orange stripe, an orange secrecy envelope, a ballot, instructions insert, and a yellow flyer. The deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot is May 9.
The steps to correctly complete a mail-in or absentee ballot are:
- Voters make their selections on the ballot – front and back;
- The completed ballot is placed inside the orange secrecy envelope marked Official Election Ballot. Envelopes must be sealed and may not contain any markings;
- The sealed orange secrecy envelope is placed inside the pre-addressed, orange-striped declaration envelope. The declaration envelope is then sealed;
- Voters must sign and date the back of the declaration envelope.
Voters may return their ballots by mail or in-person at the County Board of Elections or a drop-box location designated by the Board. In-person delivery must be done by the voter themself; another person may not drop off someone else’s mail-in or absentee ballot, unless it is accompanied by a designated agent form completed by a voter with a disability, which prohibits them from returning the ballot.
All mail-in or absentee ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Primary Election Day, May 16. Drop-boxes will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on election day.
All Chester County election information, including the informational videos, the application for mail-in and absentee ballots and the designated agent form is found at www.chesco.org/elections.
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