READING, Pa. – Primary Election Day is less than two weeks away, and election services offices are making sure all of their ducks are in a row to ensure a seamless election.
With just 13 days until the big day on May 19, the Berks County Office of Election Services is very busy.
“We are processing any mail-in and absentee ballot applications that come in so we can get those mailed to voters as quickly as possible. We’re also processing the mail-in and absentee ballots that have been returned to us already,” said Stephanie Nojiri, assistant director for the Berks County Office of Election Services.
Workers are making sure all the ballots are dropped off in time.
Officials say any mail-in ballots that come in the mail on May 20 or after are not allowed to be counted by law.
There are three designated ballot drop boxes in Berks: one at the Berks County Services Center in Reading, one at the South Campus in Mohnton, and one at Reading Regional Airport in Bern Township. The ballot drop boxes are open this week and next, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Following that, there will be extra hours every day through Election Day.
Over-the-counter voting is offered at the Services Center though next Tuesday, May 12. That’s also the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot.
As election workers prepare, they’re testing the equipment, making sure it’s in tip-top shape.
“The testing of the high-speed scanners that we’ll use on Election Day to process the mail and absentee ballots will be done this coming Friday, May 8, and then we’ll do testing on the electronic poll books next week, starting on Monday, May 11,” Nojiri said.
It’s a busy time for election officials.
“We’re preparing all of the supplies and different documents to go out to our 202 polling locations. We’re doing that testing we talked about, of the scanners and poll books, we’re preparing the poll books with all the data of all the updated voter records and making sure we have poll workers in place to work at the polls,” Nojiri said. “So it’s a lot of activity in our office these next two weeks.”
In Pennsylvania, there’s something voters must remember.
“I think the most important thing people should know about the upcoming primary is that primaries in Pennsylvania are closed primaries, so you have to be a registered Democrat or a registered Republican to vote, and when you go the poll, then if, whatever you registered, that’s the ballot you receive,” Nojiri said.
Typically, primaries have a lower turnout.
“With the addition of mail-in ballots and a more convenient option, we have seen turnout go slightly higher than in past years, but we don’t expect a very high turnout,” Nojiri said.
Visit the 69 News Election Central page to see who’s on the ballot.