Pennsylvania Absentee Voting

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

I've done some research on absentee voting in PA and it seems like the rules are explained differently in various places. Some sites seem to suggest there are only a few instances which qualify voters to do so absentee. But the actual application/request form for absentee ballot allows for a broader range.

On the form, you must choose one of these reason categories:

Section A: Absence from Municipality
Declaration that you are eligible to vote absentee because duties, occupation, or business will require you to be out of the district all of election day for the reason stated below (which you must write in, but which I suspect doesn't need to be any more detailed than a reiterate that one of the three require your absence. For instance, I will be out of town for my job, or duties require me to be absent from the district.)

Section B: Illness of physical disability
Declaration that you are eligible to vote absentee due to the illness or physical disability stated below (which you must write in.)

You can download the application asking for an absentee ballot to be mailed to you here: www.dosimages.pa.gov/pdf/AbsenteeBallotApplication.pdf

This, unfortunately for those of us who like to type in our forms, must be filled in by hand. Montgomery County has provided a version that you can fill on your computer before printing.

It's just slightly different from the other version. I'm using it. I'll send it in well before the deadline and report back whether or not my County (Chester) accepts it. They should. You can download this version from here: http://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/2214

The fact that the state doesn't provide a computer-fillable one is so 20th century. (Many of PA's government web sites fall into that category also. Some, for instance, are only accessible during business hours!)

You must mail the application form to your local County Board of Elections. They will then mail you the absentee ballot.

I have to hand it to the Rs who provided a list of all Pennsylvania elections board addresses on the pdf with the (non-computer-fillable) application form, available here.

You can also get the addresses from here.

[Freddie]

1. My first ever vote was by PA absentee ballot

Jimmy Carter for President in 1976! Was a student at Temple. Back in those days you actually had to go to the county courthouse (Doylestown in my case) to register. Bucks Co.'s website provides voting places and a sample ballot for each.
Where in Montco? I lived in Hatfield for many years.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

2. I live in Southwestern Chester County. I just happened to come across

that application from MontCo in my search results.

There was no trip to the courthouse necessary when I registered to vote. Though it would have been easy enough, as I was in college at West Chester, which is the county seat.