HARISBURG, PA — Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt discussed on-demand mail ballot voting today at his sixth weekly virtual media briefing before the Nov. 3 election.

“Pennsylvania voters have the option of going in person to their county elections office, applying for a mail ballot, receiving it, filling it out and returning it all in one visit,” Sec. Schmidt said. “This option is available until Oct. 27, which is also the deadline to apply for a mail ballot.”

Voters should check with their county elections office for hours when this option is available.

“Mail ballot voters also can fill out their ballot at home and mail it or hand-deliver it to their county elections office or a drop box designated by their county,” Sec. Schmidt added.

County election offices must receive completed mail ballots by 8 p.m. Election Day for them to count.

As of this morning, about 1,134,000 mail ballot applications have been approved by county elections offices, and about 30% of mail ballots have been returned to counties. About 7,300 ballots have been requested through the on-demand mail ballot voting process.

For information about voting in person at the polls on Election Day, visit vote.pa.gov.

Sec. Schmidt also noted that the deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania in the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 19, in just five days. Eligible Pennsylvanians can register online at vote.pa.gov or at their county elections office.

Anyone already registered can check or update their registration at vote.pa.gov. It’s the best and most secure site to verify a Pennsylvania voter registration.

The Department’s voter information website, vote.pa.gov, is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese and offers a polling place locator and contact information for county elections offices. It also includes tips for first-time voters, mail-in and absentee voters, elderly and disabled voters, and members of the military.

Members of the public can access weekly voter registration statistics, historical election data, annual voter registration reports, election directives and guidance, and other election administration resources on the Department of State's website. To learn more about annual voter list maintenance, visit the Department’s Fact-Checking Pennsylvania-Related Election Claims page.