What to know about mail ballots in Lehigh, Northampton counties

More than 50,000 voters have applied so far for mail-in ballots for the upcoming May 19 primary in the Lehigh Valley, according to the latest data from the Pennsylvania Department of State.

The deadline to request a mail ballot is 5 p.m. May 12.

The primary election is May 19. Pennsylvania’s primary is closed, which means only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in their respective party’s primary.

Here is what you need to know about voting by mail in the primary election.

How do I apply for a mail ballot?

You can apply for a mail ballot online at vote.pa.gov, or at your local election office.

In Lehigh County, mail ballot services are available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday at the Lehigh County Voter Registration Office, 17 S. Seventh St., Allentown.

In Northampton County, the voter registration office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in the lower level of the main courthouse, 669 Washington St., Easton.

Both counties are offering on-demand mail ballots, which means registered voters can apply for, receive, fill out and return their mail ballots in one visit.

How do I return my mail ballot?

Mail ballots must be received by the county voter services offices by 8 p.m. May 19, when polls close. Postmarks do not count, so if you want to ensure your ballot is received on time, your best bet is to drop them off.

In Northampton County, ballot boxes are available at:

• Washington Township Municipal Building (interior hallway), 1021 Washington Blvd. 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday.

• East Allen Township Municipal Building (main lobby), 5344 Nor Bath Blvd. 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

• NCC Fowler Family Southside Center (main lobby), 511 E. Third St., Bethlehem. 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

• Northampton County Courthouse (rotunda), 669 Washington St., Easton. 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday

• Northampton County Human Services Building (main entrance vestibule), 2801 Emrick Blvd., Bethlehem Township. 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday

• Northampton County 911 Center (main entrance vestibule), 100 Gracedale Ave., Upper Nazareth Township. 24 hours, 7 days a week until Election Day

• Bethlehem City Hall (main lobby), 10 E. Church St. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

In Lehigh County, boxes can be found at:

• Whitehall Township Municipal Building, 3219 MacArthur Road. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

• Lehigh County Authority (lobby), 1053 Spruce Road, Lower Macungie Township. 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Monday-Friday.

• Fountain Hill Borough Building, 941 Long St. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday

• Lehigh County Government Center (main entrance), 17 S. Seventh St., Allentown. Available 24/7 until Election Day.

• Macungie Borough Building, 21 Locust St. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

I received an incorrect mail ballot. What should I do?

Both Lehigh and Northampton counties have admitted to errors in mail ballots sent to some voters.

In Lehigh County, officials said “human error” led to a voter registration file from the 2025 primary being used to create ballots, leading to 115 people who had switched parties since the last election cycle receiving the wrong party ballots. Another roughly 6,000 voters will receive their ballots late, county officials said. Affected voters will be notified by mail, the county said.

In Northampton County, a “limited number” of duplicate ballots were sent due to a labeling error.

Contact your voter services office if you received an incorrect ballot. You can also take the incomplete ballot to the polls on Election Day and vote in person.

In Lehigh County, only 110 mail ballots had been returned as of Wednesday morning. In Northampton County, 2,866 were returned, according to state data.

How do I fill out my mail ballot?

Read all instructions carefully before marking your ballot. Be sure to complete both sides of the ballot.

Once completed, place your ballot in the yellow security envelope, and seal it. Then place the ballot in the return envelope, and seal the return envelope.

The next step is important: Sign and write the current date in the voter’s declaration area on the outside of the outer return envelope. If you do not do this, your ballot may not be counted.

Voters must drop off their own mail ballots unless a certification has been signed giving that task to someone else due to disability or another reason.

Can I still vote in person if I received a mail ballot?

Yes.

If you’ve received a mail ballot but decide to vote in person, bring your incomplete mail ballot — including the security and outer envelopes — to the polling place and you’ll be able to vote. If you don’t bring your mail ballot, you should still be allowed to vote in person by provisional ballot.

If you applied for a ballot but never received one, or your mail ballot was not accepted, you can go to your polling place and vote by provisional ballot.