Allegheny County expects mail-in ballots to start reaching voters in 2 weeks

Pennsylvania ballots for the November general election have been finalized by the state, and voters in Allegheny County can expect mail-in ballots to start arriving the week of Sept. 30, according to county officials.

That would give Allegheny County residents voting by mail about six weeks to return their ballots.

“We have to test the equipment next week, and assuming that’s smooth and successful, ballots will start arriving in mailboxes the week of Sept. 30,” Abigail Gardner, spokeswoman for Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, said Tuesday.

Counties in Pennsylvania were given the nod to start preparing ballots on Monday, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt said in a statement.

Gardner said Allegheny County has received 160,000 mail-in ballot applications so far. She said officials expect that to increase and eclipse the 172,000 applications in 2022.

Allegheny County residents who are interested in voting by mail but don’t want to wait for a ballot to be delivered will have an alternative.

They can go to the county’s one-stop-shop election kiosk in Downtown Pittsburgh where they can apply in person for a mail-in ballot, fill it out immediately and hand it back.

That service will start the first week in October at the kiosk inside the County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., said Gardner. It will be open from 8:30 to 4:30 on weekdays.

Mail-in ballot applications must be received by voters’ county election offices by Oct. 29. Completed mail-in ballots must be received by those offices by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5, Election Day.

If sending mail-in ballots through the postal service, officials typically suggest mailing ballots at least a week before Election Day.

Allegheny County is also offering 10 ballot drop-off locations. The ballot return sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 29-Nov. 1 and Nov. 4, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 2 and 3. They will be located at:

• Allegheny County Emergency Services Building in Moon
• Boyce Park in Plum
• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill
• North Park Ice Rink
• South Park Ice Rink
• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in Duquesne
• Community College of Allegheny County at Homewood
• Dormont Pool
• Avalon Public Library
• County Office Building in Downtown Pittsburgh (Ross Street entrance)

New this year, Allegheny County voters will also be able to over-the-counter vote at four other satellite voting locations throughout the county, in addition to the Downtown voting kiosk.

A satellite voting location at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Oct. 15-17.

Three other satellite voting locations – Community College of Allegheny County branch in Homewood, North Park Ice Rink, and South Park Ice Rink – will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 19, 20, 26 and 27.