Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen is urging voters to return their early voting ballots as soon as possible, with Election Day less than a week away. As of Tuesday, October 27th, the Election Commission had received about 35,000 of the 45,500 early voting ballots issued for the November 3rd general election.
Wiltgen says Monday was the last day voters should have mailed their ballots to allow time for U.S. Postal Service processing. “The best method to return early vote ballots now would be to drop them off at one of the secure drop boxes,” Wiltgen says. “Ballots received after 8:00 p.m. next Tuesday will not be counted.”
Lancaster County has five secure ballot drop boxes, located at the Election Commission office at 601 North 46th Street and the Anderson, Eiseley, Gere and Walt branch libraries. The boxes are emptied daily by two election officials from different political parties and monitored by video surveillance.
Voters can also cast early ballots in person at the Election Commission through 5 p.m. Monday, November 2nd. Extended hours include Thursday, October 29th, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, October 31st, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Wiltgen says wait times at the Election Commission can range from 10 minutes to an hour, with the longest lines typically occurring during the lunch hour. Voters who missed the October 23rd deadline to request an early ballot by mail still have options. They can vote at their assigned polling place on Election Day or have themselves or an authorized agent pick up an early ballot at the Election Commission.
Agents may pick up ballots until 7 p.m. November 3rd.