Your Ballot Is on the Way (Allegheny Co. Pennsylvania)

[yortsed snacilbuper]

[e-mail]

6:30 AM (1 hour ago)

Dear ALEXANDER

Your ballot is almost ready, and it's being prepared for mailing. If you do not receive your ballot in the next 10-14 days, please contact your county election office.

If you have questions concerning your ballot, please contact ALLEGHENY County at [phone].

Thank You

Well my ballot is on the way, I'll fill it out ASAP, and mail it in, not looking for any problemos?

Al

[BGBD]

1. Make sure

you place it in the secrecy envelope and all of that goes into the outer envelope. They are looking for reasons to toss out mail in ballots and the court told them not returning both envelopes would invalidate a ballot.

Don't forget to sign it too!

[LisaL]

2. Yea, don't forget the "secrecy" envelopes!

Why it's so important that the ballots have to be thrown out if they don't have them is beyond my understanding, but I don't make the rules.

[DeminPennswoods]

6. The reason for the plain white envelope is to ensure a

secret ballot.

When the return envelope is received by the county elections office, it's opened and the ballot envelop is removed. The white envelopes are then put in a seperate pile from the return envelopes. This is because when the ballots from the white envelopes are removed, vote counters do not know who cast the vote.

Otherwise, by just opening the return envelope, pulling out the ballot and counting it, you would know how every person voted.

BTW, the ballots and both sets of envelopes are kept.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

9. "the ballots and both sets of envelopes are kept."

Sort of a paper trail?

[DeminPennswoods]

13. Yes

Everything, if counted seperately, should add up to the same number.

FTR, I never personally saw the vote counting of absentee ballots, but I did count votes in a union election which is done under very similar rules. We were required to seperate the ballots from the envelopes so no one knew who voted for whom, then keep the envelopes in a locked box. Everything, if counted seperately, had to add up to the same number.

[LisaL]

10. They don't seem to be concerned about it in OH.

We sign on the internal envelope.

[DeminPennswoods]

3. Allegheny county is not looking for ways to toss out

absentee ballots, I can assure you.

But returning absentee ballots is not as easy as just folding up a ballot and putting it in the return evelope. It's easy to make a mistake. You have to fill out the ballot, put that in the plain white envelope and seal it. Then that envelope goes inside the return envelope that you have to fill out on the back with all the requested information, name, date, witness if needed, etc. So, pay attention to what you're doing.

[LisaL]

4. We realize that, but the state's supreme court just ruled that ballots without secrecy envelopes

have to be thrown out.
So make sure to use it.

[BGBD]

5. not up to them

court has ruled that not having the ballot in both envelopes would invalidate it and that isnt must be thrown out. This is a new ruling that was not in effect during the primary.

Make sure everyone voting by mail in PA is aware......except Trump voters. Tell them they are delivered via sewage pipes. Just flush and forget!

[yortsed snacilbuper]

7. Thanks for the heads up,

I didn't know about the secrecy envelope?

[LisaL]

8. It's an internal envelope.

Your ballot should be put into an internal envelope then into external envelope. Both envelopes should be included when you get your ballot by mail. Make sure to read instructions.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

11. I'll take my time and read everything twice,

I did use the mail to vote in the primary and did okay!

[Tommymac]

14. Just be aware the PA rules are different for the General.

The primary method was not as 'complex'.

Good Luck!

[femmocrat]

12. Thank you!

I requested our ballots on Sept. 1. I got the absentee and mail-in ballots mixed up during the primary. PA has very complicated mail-in ballots! Those who say that they are the same are obviously in other states!