LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. – With Election Day quickly approaching, thousands of Lehigh Valley voters won’t be heading to the polls, they’ll be placing their ballots in the mail or in drop boxes.

But how secure are they, and what mistakes could keep your vote from being counted? Officials in both counties say the system is secure, but only if voters follow directions correctly.

Both counties are seeing steady mail-in ballot returns. In Lehigh there are five boxes. In Northampton there are seven. ALL under constant surveillance.

“Four of them are in either municipal buildings, or for example, the LCA building. They’re only available when that building is open,” Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong says. “The only one that’s open 24 hours a day is right here at the government center on 7th and Walnut. But that one, 24 hour surveillance also.”

Northampton’s drop boxes are physically secured, and sheriff’s deputies collect the ballots.

“Mail-in balloting is super safe,” Northampton County Executive Lemont McClure says. “We’ve got a really tight chain of custody. We swear sheriff’s deputies in as elections workers. Our drop boxes are chained to buildings and they’re under cameras. So your vote is safe and secure.”

Officials say most issues don’t come from fraud, or drop-box security, but from voter mistakes.

“One of the most common mistakes is they forget to use the secrecy envelope. So please use your secrecy envelope. It’s very important. Also, signing and dating is also very important,” McClure says.

And with election day just days away, Armstrong says you may not want to rely on the mail, but rather use the drop box.

“It has to be here by law. Now some states would say that as long as it’s postmarked, we are not one of them, so has to be here in the building by 8 p.m.,” Armstrong says.

County leaders say the systems are safe and ready, and now the responsibility is on voters to make sure their voices are heard on election day.

“That’s what democracy is all about. Go ahead and vote and pick the people who are going to run your communities,” McClure added.

To learn more about this year’s election candidates, visit Election Central.Â