Absentee Voter Deadline Looms

Any voter in Allegheny County who wants to vote absentee in the May 18 primary must have their application in to the County Elections Division office before 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 11. Division Manager Mark Wolosik says you can either have it in the mail in time for it to be delivered to the office by Tuesday or you need to come by the office in person. By state law, faxed or emailed applications cannot be accepted. Absentee ballots are available to registered voters who will be absent from their municipality on May 18 or to those who cannot reach the polls due to an illness or physical disability. Wolosik says there are a few other exceptions such as those who can not get to the polling place on the day of the election for religious reasons but most people who qualify will do so for medical or travel reasons. The ballot can be printed from VOTESPA.COM or can be picked up at the Election Division. Wolosik says once the applications are received and voter eligibility is verified the county will mail out the appropriate ballot, which must be back in to the office by Friday, May 14. Anyone submitting the form in person can get a ballot on the spot and cast their vote immediately.
Wolosik says the number of absentee ballots will rise and fall with the interest in the election. He says a presidential election year usually brings out about 40,000 absentee voters. He expects about 6,000 absentee votes to be cast in the May 18 primary.