How do I fill out my Pennsylvania mail ballot?

Read the instructions and mark your ballot. Complete the front and back of each page.
Seal your mail ballot in the yellow envelope you received marked “Official Election Ballot.” This inner envelope protects your vote’s anonymity.

There should be no stray marks on the envelope. If you do not seal your ballot in that official election ballot envelope, it won’t be counted.

Seal the yellow envelope in the pre-addressed outer return envelope provided with your mail ballot.
On the outer return envelope is a voter’s declaration form. You must sign the voter’s declaration and write the current date. If you do not complete the declaration form on the outer return envelope, your ballot will not be counted.
If you’re mailing your ballot to your election office, check whether your county requires paid postage — and, if so, how much postage you need.

How do I return my Pennsylvania mail ballot?

You can return your mail ballot in one of three ways:

Mail your ballot to your county election office (be sure to check and see whether your county requires paid postage)
Deliver your mail ballot in person at your county election office (or election satellite office)
Drop off your mail ballot at one of your county’s designated drop boxes

Here’s where to find secure mail ballot dropbox locations in Philadelphia and its collar counties:

Bucks County drop box locations
Chester County has 13 designated drop box locations that will be available beginning in October:

Chester County Government Services Center
601 Westtown Rd, West Chester, PA 19380
Avon Grove Library
117 Rosehill Avenue, West Grove, PA 19390
Chester County Library
450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton, PA 19341
Coatesville Area Public Library
501 E Lincoln Highway, Coatesville, PA 19320
Downingtown Library
122 Wallace Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335
Easttown Library & Information Center
720 First Avenue, Berwyn, PA 19312
Henrietta Hankin Branch
215 Windgate Dr, Chester Springs, PA 19425
Honey Brook Community Library
687 Compass Rd, Honey Brook, PA 19344
Kennett Library
320 E. State Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348
Oxford Library Company
48 S Second Street, Oxford, PA 19363
Parkesburg Free Library
105 West Street, Parkesburg, PA 19365
Phoenixville Public Library
183 2nd Avenue, Phoenixville, PA 19460
Spring City Free Library
245 Broad St, Spring City, PA 19475

Delaware County drop box locations
Montgomery County drop box locations
Philadelphia County drop box locations

Pennsylvania law requires that you mail or drop off your own ballot. The only exception is if you have a disability and fill out a designated agent form, which allows another individual to drop off your mail ballot for you.

You can track the status of your mail ballot online after you’ve submitted it.

When is the deadline to return my Pennsylvania mail ballot?

If you’re returning your ballot by mail, it must be received by the county election office by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. A postmark by or even before Nov. 3 does not matter if the ballot has not been received by the county election office by 8 p.m. Nov. 3.

If you don’t think you have enough time to mail it before Election Day, you have a couple of options:

You can drop off your mail ballot at one of your county’s secure drop boxes, or drop off your mail ballot at your local county election office before 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
On Nov. 3, you can bring your blank mail ballot to the polls and surrender it and the outer return envelope and vote in person. If you did not vote by mail but still do not have your mail ballot or the envelope to surrender at your polling place, you can vote in person on Election Day by provisional ballot.

How do I know if there is an issue with my Pennsylvania mail ballot? Can I fix it?

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that counties must notify voters who have submitted a flawed mail ballot that it will be rejected.

Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties all follow a notice-and-cure process. The counties’ boards of elections notify voters whose mail ballots were filed with errors and allow them to “cure,” or fix, the ballot.

In addition to mail ballot “curing” options for each county, voters who fill out a mail ballot and who are notified of errors that would prevent it from being counted may choose to cast a provisional ballot at the polls on Election Day.

The state Supreme Court ruled that provisional ballots from voters whose mail ballots have been voided must be counted.

Below is a breakdown of each county’s process in the Greater Philadelphia area for “curing” defective mail ballots: