Your mail-in ballot still hasn't arrived? What can be done

The Erie County Board of Elections and Voter Registration Office continue to work with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Gov. Josh Shapiro's Office, the U.S. Postal Service and its third party vendor, ElectionIQ, to determine the status of mail-in ballots that have not been delivered to voters.

Erie County Clerk Karen Chillcott on Monday provided potential remedies for people who are concerned they won't receive their ballot in time to return it to the county elections office by the deadline, which is 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, when the polls close across the state.

Mail-in ballots must be received by the office by that time.

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What to do if you haven't received your mail ballot

If you live out of the area and cannot make it to the polls on Election Day, you can email the Voter Registration Office, request that the mail-in ballot you request be canceled and ask the office to send you a new ballot via priority express mail. The ballot would be sent directly from the Voter Registration Office, as opposed to its mail house, ElectionIQ, which is based in Akron, Ohio, and which handles the printing of ballots and batch mailings.

However, this request must be made by the end of the day Tuesday, Oct. 29, which is the deadline to request a mail-in ballot. Chillcott recommends voters email their request to the office at [email protected].

Starting Wednesday, voters can request an emergency ballot for unforeseen circumstances such as illness, business or other work obligations.

When does early voting end?

If you receive your mail-in ballot before Election Day, but cannot return your ballot to the Voter Registration Office or leave it at the drop box outside of the Erie County Courthouse, 201 W. Sixth St., you can surrender your mail-in ballot to election officials at your polling place. The ballot will be canceled and you will be permitted to vote at the polls.

If you have not received your mail-in ballot before Election Day, you can go to your polling place and request a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots are special ballots that are manually reviewed to ensure a voter, for example, has not cast two ballots. Provisional ballots are typically reviewed and counted during the Board of Elections final canvass, which is typically the Friday after the election.

Mail ballot mishap slowing early voting

The Voter Registration Office has been flooded with calls and, in some cases, the call volume overwhelms the phone system and some callers are being disconnected. Employees are not hanging up on callers, Chillcott said.

Anyone who intends to vote early Tuesday should prepare to wait for several hours, bring a snack, something to drink and even a book. Going with another person is also advised so you have someone to hold your place in line if you need to use the restroom, she said.

Some Erie mail ballots sent to wrong post office

Last week, the county learned that two bins of mail-in ballots had been dropped off at a U.S. Postal Service mail processing facility in Pittsburgh, but were then sent to the wrong post office.

However, Chillcott on Monday said she is concerned more ballots might have been affected.

The Postal Service error followed the Oct. 18 discovery that ElectionIQ had mistakenly sent duplicate mail-in ballots to the wrong voters.

Chillcott has more meetings Tuesday with state officials.

Matthew Rink can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @ETNRink.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Some Erie voters still waiting for mail ballots