FAQs • York County, PA • CivicEngage

I filled my ballot out in blue ink. Will it still be valid?: As long as the circles are darkened you may use blue or black ink. It is likely a pencil will also have no issues being read by the scanner as long as the circles are darkened. Red ink will not be read by the scanners, so please do not use red ink to fill out your ballot.

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Voting & Elections

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1. ¿Puedo leer las preguntas más frecuentes en Español?: Las preguntas más frecuentes en Español (PDF)

2. Am I registered to vote?: You can look this up online! Verify your voter registration.

3. How do I register to vote?: The deadline to register to vote in the November 2 election is October 18, 2021.

4. What if I need to make a change to my registration?: You can change your registration online.

5. How do I sign up to vote by mail or absentee and what's the difference between the two?: Absentee ballots are for people who will be absent from their municipality on election day, or for those that have an illness or disability that results in an inability to vote at their polling location. Mail-in ballots are for people who do not want to go to their polling places. More information on the 2 methods and how to sign up for them can be found at vote.pa.gov.

6. Did I sign up to receive a mail-in ballot in November?: If you're not sure if you checked the "permanent" box on your mail-in application, go to the ballot-tracking website, select “Election Ballot Status,” and enter your information. As of now, your status will be listed as "pending." Closer to the election, you will see when your ballot is mailed and when your vote has been received by our office.

7. Can I withdraw my request for a mail-in ballot and vote in person?: If you received a ballot in the mail in the primary and checked the box to permanently vote by mail and do not wish to receive a ballot through the mail in the fall, you can print and fill out a form titled Request to Cancel Permanent Absentee or Mail-in Status (PDF). Once filled out, it must be submitted to our office. By state law, we cannot make changes from an email or phone request.

8. Where can I return my voter registration or mail-in ballot application in person?

Voters can come in to the Voter Registration and Elections Office to drop off all documents to change or modify their registered elector information or to drop off their voter registration or mail-in ballot applications, including their ballots, in the lower level of the county’s Administrative Center at

28 E Market Street
York, PA 17401

Voters have until 8 pm on November 2, 2021 to submit their mail-in ballot to the Elections office.

9. What is the deadline to return my mail in or absentee ballot?: For the 2021 election, voters have until 8 pm on November 2 to submit their Mail-in ballot or Absentee to the Elections office in person by hand delivery. This must be of your own ballot.

10. When can I expect my mail-in ballot?: Final election ballots must be certified by the State. Ballots for those individuals that requested permanent mail-in ballots before the primary are being processed and mailed. Applications received after the primary are being reviewed, approved and processed on a rolling basis.

11. Will there be a secure drop box for my mail-in ballot?: The only secure drop box is at the front door of the York County Administrative Center at 28 E Market Street, York.

12. Can I return my spouse or adult child’s mail in ballot to the election office?: A Registered Elector may only return their own ballot to the Elections Office unless they are returning a ballot for a disabled individual, which will require that the disabled person and the designated individual complete and sign an “Authorized Designated Agent for Mail-In or Absentee Ballot” which can be found online.

13. If I requested a mail-in or absentee ballot and do not return it to the elections office by 8 pm on May 18, can I still vote at my poll?: If you applied for a mail-in ballot and a mail-in ballot was placed in the mail to you, you will be noted in the poll books at your precinct as having received a mail-in ballot. You will be permitted to vote by provisional ballot only, unless you bring your ballot, secrecy envelope and the outer envelope which contains the voter declaration on it. You will also be required to sign a declaration certifying that you have not voted by any other method. After the Judge of Elections verifies that you did not complete an Over-the-Counter Ballot at the Elections Office, you will then be permitted to cast a regular vote. If all of these qualifications cannot be met, you will be provided a Provisional Ballot.

14. If I applied for a mail-in ballot and registered to vote at the same time will my mail-in request be rejected if the registration is not finalized first?: No, if you applied for a mail-in ballot at the same time that you registered to vote, your mail-in application will be held until the registration has been completed and verified. You will not be permitted to register to vote and vote at the same time. Your registration must be approved before a ballot can be provided to you, which will take between 24 and 48 hours.

15. If I submitted a paper application for a mail-in ballot and have not received it should I reapply online for the mail-in ballot?: No. If you have submitted a paper application for a mail-in ballot, please check online to verify your application approval at votes.pa.gov, or call the Elections Office if you applied before September 1, 2020. Do not apply more than 1 time for a mail-in ballot or for a change in address or voter registration as such duplicate applications will only further delay the verification and approval process.

16. I received notice that my mail-in ballot application was rejected. What do I do?

If you receive notification that your mail-in ballot application was rejected, contact the Elections Office at 717-771-9604. Be prepared to address the reasons for the rejection of the application. Common reasons for rejection:

Failure to include apartment number or specific address identification
Incorrect birthdate
Incorrect Driver License Number
Incorrect address and no updated address form is on file
Incomplete application

17. Do I have to return my mail-in ballot in the “secrecy envelope?": Yes, The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that your mail-in ballot must be returned to the Elections Office in the envelope on which is printed “Official Election Ballot”, and that envelope must be inside the envelope addressed to the Elections Office. Further, the Official Election Ballot envelope must also be returned without any text, mark or symbol that would reveal your identity or your political affiliation or candidate preference. Any ballots returned with a marked-up envelope or returned without the “secrecy” envelope must be set aside and declared void.

18. Why do you continue to send me mail-in ballot applications?: The Elections Office is not sending mail-in ballot applications to anyone who has not specifically requested it from the Elections Office. Any mail-in ballot applications that you are receiving are coming from third-party groups and not from the York County Elections Office.

19. Where can I vote early for the primary election?: Pennsylvania does not permit early voting. Mail-in voting, which allows you to return your completed ballot to the Elections Office before Election Day, is not considered early voting, as those ballots cannot be opened and tabulated until Election Day.

20. Do I have to change my political party to vote for a certain candidate in the general election?: No. There are no separate ballots by political party for the General Election.

21. Will I be permitted to obtain an in-person or over the counter ballot at the elections office in advance of the November 2, 2021 election?: The Pennsylvania Department of State issued guidance on September 28, 2020 regarding this issue. Registered voters can request and cast an absentee or mail-in ballot at the elections office during regular business hours in advance of Election Day. The application must be completed and the application must be reviewed and qualified. Once qualified, the voter will be provided a ballot, secrecy envelope and declaration envelope to be filled out and returned to the office staff. Please note this process will require proof of identification to verify the registered voter and obtain a ballot.

22. I received several emails saying that I would be receiving my mail-in or absentee ballot. Does that mean I will receive multiple ballots?: No. Due to a setting in the election system, multiple emails were issued when ballots began to be mailed out to voters. Despite the multiple emails, each registered voter will only be issued 1 ballot.

23. I filled my ballot out in blue ink. Will it still be valid?: As long as the circles are darkened you may use blue or black ink. It is likely a pencil will also have no issues being read by the scanner as long as the circles are darkened. Red ink will not be read by the scanners, so please do not use red ink to fill out your ballot.