[VisibleTogether | October 27, 2026 | Philadelphia, PA]
5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, is the deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot for Pennsylvania’s Nov. 3 General Election. Applications must be received by the county election office by then, not merely sent. Completed ballots must reach the county board of elections by 8 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark does not count.
This is the second installment of the 2026 Pennsylvania Election Guide. The first covered voter registration.
Two deadlines
5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27: Mail-in and absentee ballot applications must be received by the county election office.
8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3: Completed ballots must be received by the county board of elections. A postmark is not enough.
The distinction matters: a ballot postmarked by Election Day but received after the deadline will not be counted. Voters who apply close to the deadline have little time for a ballot to travel by mail in both directions, so returning it in person is the safest option (see “Where to return a ballot” below).
Mail-in vs. absentee ballots
Pennsylvania offers two ways to vote without going to a polling place:
- Mail-in ballot: Any registered voter may apply. No reason is required.
- Absentee ballot: For voters who will be outside their municipality on Election Day, or who cannot go to the polls because of a disability or illness. A reason is required.
Both follow the same deadlines and the same rules for completing and returning the ballot. For most voters, a mail-in ballot is the simpler choice. Military and overseas voters follow a separate process.
Four ways to apply
1. Online. The state’s online application is available in English, Spanish and Traditional Chinese. The same system handles both mail-in and absentee applications; voters applying for an absentee ballot choose that option and state their reason.Voters with a Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID must use that number. Voters without one provide the last four digits of their Social Security number and upload a signature. Adding an email address lets voters receive ballot status notifications.
2. Paper application. There are two paper forms: the mail-in ballot application, for any registered voter, and the absentee ballot application, for voters who cannot get to the polls on Election Day because of illness, disability, work or travel. Voters can also request a form by calling the Department of State at 1-877-VOTESPA. A paper application must also be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 27; close to the deadline, delivering it in person is the only reliable option.
- Mail-in ballot application: English | Spanish | Traditional Chinese
- Absentee ballot application: English | Spanish | Traditional Chinese
Versions in other languages, including Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Bengali, French, Korean and Russian, are on the Department of State’s Voting Forms and Documents page.
3. In person at the county election office. Once a county’s ballots are ready, voters can apply at the county election office or another designated location and receive a ballot on the spot.
4. All in one visit. Voters can apply for, receive, complete and return a mail ballot in a single trip to the county election office or a designated site, without using the postal service. In Philadelphia, this service is offered at the County Board of Elections in City Hall, Room 140, and at the city’s 10 Satellite Election Offices, one in each City Council district. Any Philadelphia resident may use any office. Posted hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends; offices generally begin serving their last visitors 30 minutes before closing, so voters going on deadline day should arrive early.
In every case, the voter must already be registered.
ID requirements
Every application must include proof of identification, in this order:
- A valid Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID number, if the voter has one;
- If not, the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number;
- If neither, a copy of a photo ID, such as an unexpired U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID, a photo employee ID issued by a government agency or an accredited Pennsylvania college or university, or a photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania care facility.
Uniformed and overseas citizens, and voters covered by the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, do not need to provide ID.
Completing the ballot: two envelopes, no shortcuts
Each mail ballot comes with two envelopes. Envelope requirements are critical to ensuring that a mail ballot can be counted.
- Mark the ballot. Read the instructions and check both sides of every page for contests, then mark your choices. Contests you do not wish to vote in may be left blank.
- Seal it in the yellow inner envelope. Place the ballot in the yellow envelope marked “Official Election Ballot” and seal it. Do not write or make any marks on the yellow envelope. The state’s instructions say a ballot not sealed in the yellow envelope will not be counted.
- Seal it in the outer envelope, then sign and date. Place the yellow envelope in the pre-addressed outer return envelope and seal it. Sign the voter’s declaration on the outside and write the current date (the date you fill it out, not your date of birth). The state’s instructions say a ballot will not be counted if the declaration is not completed.
Where to return a ballot
- By mail: Allowed, but the ballot must arrive by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. The closer it gets to Election Day, the riskier mail becomes.
- In person: Deliver it to the county board of elections office or another official location during business hours.
- Philadelphia voters: Ballots can also go in official drop boxes, located at City Hall’s south side, all 10 Satellite Election Offices, and a number of libraries, recreation centers and fire stations. The City Commissioners say drop boxes are accessible 24 hours a day through 8 p.m. on Election Day, though individual boxes can be taken out of service; as of Oct. 27, the city’s list showed the box at Vogt Recreation Center in the Northeast out of order due to construction. The map at vote.phila.gov/ballot-drop-off shows current locations.
Under Pennsylvania law, voters must return their own ballots. They cannot drop off ballots for family members or neighbors. The only exception is an agent designated in writing by a voter with a disability.
If time runs out or something goes wrong
Missed the deadline because of an emergency. Voters facing an unexpected illness, disability or last-minute absence from their municipality can request an emergency absentee ballot after the 5 p.m. Oct. 27 application deadline. The application must be submitted to the county election office before 8 p.m. on Election Day, and the completed ballot is due by the same time. Voters who cannot go in person can authorize a representative using a state form. Philadelphia voters can request one in person at City Hall or any Satellite Election Office.
Requested a mail ballot but want to vote at the polls. Bring the ballot and both envelopes to your polling place on Election Day. Poll workers will void them, and you can then vote a regular ballot. Voters whose ballot never arrived, was lost, or who did not bring all materials can vote by provisional ballot, which the county reviews afterward. Philadelphia voters who need replacement ballot materials can also get them at a Satellite Election Office.
Voters with disabilities. Voters may designate an agent in writing to pick up and return ballot materials. The state also offers an accessible remote ballot marking option that lets voters with disabilities mark their mail-in or absentee ballot electronically.
No need to apply every election, but renew every year
Voters can ask to join the Annual Mail Ballot List. Once approved, they automatically receive ballots for the rest of that year’s elections without applying each time. It is not permanent: each year the county mails a renewal application, which must be completed and returned for ballots to keep coming the following year.
Before you vote, know which step you are on
Registered voters who have not yet applied for a mail ballot have until 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Voters who applied but have not received a ballot should check the status of their application and mailing. Voters who have their ballot need to complete, seal and return it as instructed.
Whether by mail or in person, the deadline that cannot be missed is the same: the ballot must reach the county board of elections by 8 p.m. Nov. 3.
