Mail-in and Absentee Voting

In Pennsylvania, voters can choose to vote by mail, by requesting a mail-in or absentee ballot. How a voter completes the vote-by-mail process is just as important as in-person voting, because all instructions must be followed in order for the vote to count.

Mail-in and Absentee Voter Application

Casting a Mail-in or Absentee Ballot

Postmarks No Longer Apply
Ballots must be received by 8:00 pm on Election Day. A ballot submitted without a secrecy envelope, unsigned or inside an incorrectly dated declaration envelope will not be counted.

Mail-in and absentee ballots will not be forwarded to a second address through the mail. For voters planning to be away from their registered address four to five weeks before the election, please provide the mailing address that will be used at that time. This information should be added to the “Where to mail ballot?” portion of the application.

Step 1.Ballot Return Sites

Leading up to elections, Allegheny County offers ballot return sites locations where voters who received a mail-in or absentee ballot can return ballots in-person to a county employee. At satellite offices, residents can register to vote, request a mail-in ballot, complete, and return it, all in one place.

Step 2.Complete the Paper Ballot

Follow the instructions closely to complete the ballot, in blue or black ink only. 

Step 3.Use the Secrecy Envelope

Once the ballot is completed, place the voted ballot into the provided secrecy envelope. Do not mark the secrecy envelope. 

Step 4.Stuff and Sign the Declaration Envelope

Place the secrecy envelope inside of the declaration envelope. The declaration envelope must be signed and dated with the date the ballot was completed and sealed inside the envelope. 

Step 5.Either Add a Stamp and Mail the Envelope

The ballot will not be processed without the appropriate postage.

OR

Step 6.Return the Ballot In Person

Consider returning the ballot to the Elections Division during extended ballot return hours at the Allegheny County Office Building, on the corner of Forbes Avenue and Ross Street in downtown Pittsburgh:

Elections Division
County Office Building
542 Forbes Avenue, Room 312
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Map icon for linked directions Google Directions

Counting Mail-in Ballots

Voters can watch this quick informational video about mail-in or absentee ballot return to ensure their vote can be counted.

Contact the Elections Division

Elections Division
County Office Building
542 Forbes Avenue, Room 312
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Map icon for linked directions Google Directions

Phone: 412-350-4500
Fax: 412-350-5697

Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Contact the Elections Division

More Information

Emergency Absentee Ballots

If you become physically disabled or ill after 5:00 pm on the Tuesday prior to the election, or if you find out after 5:00 pm on the Tuesday prior to the election that you will be absent from your municipality of residence on Election Day because of your business, duties, or occupation, you can receive an Emergency Absentee Ballot.

Emergency Absentee Ballot Application

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