The general election is less than two months away.
Tuesday, Lehigh County announced voters will have access to five brand-new drop boxes for mail-in ballots.
Executive Josh Siegel was joined by several election officials to announce that the county is doubling the amount of ballot drop boxes available for voters, bringing the total up to 10.
The new drop boxes will be in addition to those already in place in Whitehall, Allentown, Fountain Hill and Macungie.
Siegel says there are almost 30,000 voters in Lehigh County that have requested mail-in ballots so far.
“We believe that we should build as many bridges to that ballot and not barriers as possible… And we think that five drop boxes as it stands is currently insufficient,” says Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel (D).
The machines are being purchased with the county’s election integrity grant money, and they’ll be accessible 24/7 through Election Day.
“These drop boxes that we’re procuring are extraordinarily sophisticated. It takes a digital image of every ballot on both sides that’s inserted, it reads the barcode on the envelope as it’s inserted. It takes a digital image of the person inserting that envelope,” Siegel explains.
In the past, drop boxes have sparked controversy, leading some to have concerns over potential election fraud.
But Siegel insists the new boxes are secure.
“Make no mistake… These are the most secure and sophisticated drop boxes… And some of the most secure instruments for participation that we could possibly deploy for the benefit of voters. We will know whoever is dropping off a ballot. If you drop off two ballots, we will know that you have technically not abided by the letter of the law,” says Siegel.
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is October 27th.