Delaware County finalizes 32 ballotbox locations
The Delaware County Bureau of Elections has finalized the list of 32 ballot drop box locations, located in municipalities across the county. Each of the 32 ballot drop boxes — including one in Concord Township — were open and accepting ballots from Delaware County residents as of Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Concord’s dropbox is located at the Rachel Kohl Library, 687 Smithbridge Road.
The ballot drop boxes, approved by the County and purchased with funds provided by a grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, are designed to provide a safe, sound, and secure method of voting to augment traditional in-person voting and vote-by-mail options also available to residents of Delaware County.
The convenient drop boxes allow residents to vote without the need for in-person interaction or reliance on mail carriers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voters can cast their vote* with confidence while practicing social distancing outdoors.
Unlike the requirement that in-person voters must vote at a specific polling place, Delaware County voters can use any ballot drop box in the county, in addition to the three ballot boxes located at the Voter Service Centers in Media, Upper Darby, and Chester.
Each of the ballot drop boxes is safely secured in place, locked and sealed, and under 24/7 video surveillance. Completed ballots will be retrieved daily by county election personnel.
The list of locations is available on the Delco Votes! website: delcopa.gov/dropbox
Voting Reminders (Don’t Vote Naked!)
Voters who want to make sure their vote is counted are reminded to carefully follow the vote-by-mail instructions enclosed with their ballot. Ballots must be filled out with blue or black ink, and ballot boxes must be filled out completely.
The completed ballot should first be placed in the smaller secrecy envelope marked “OFFICIAL ELECTION BALLOT”, which should then be sealed. The secrecy envelope containing the completed ballot is then placed in the larger return envelope marked “VOTER’S DECLARATION” and then signed, dated, and sealed.
Ballot Drop Boxes: A Closer Look
Ballot Drop Boxes are similar in size and appearance to United States Postal Service Mail Drop boxes and are distinguished by large red, white, and blue lettering marked “Official Ballot Drop Box” and “Delaware County Board of Elections.” Each box is affixed with the official Delaware County Seal.
Delaware Ballot Drop Boxes are intended to accept only Delaware County voted mail-in ballots and absentee ballots. No other materials will be accepted. No postage is required.
Most ballot drop boxes can be used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from through 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.
All voted ballots must be enclosed in the secrecy envelope provided, sealed, and placed in the larger return envelope. The return envelope must be signed. If the ballot is not placed in the secrecy envelope or sealed properly, or the return envelope is not signed and sealed, the vote will not be counted.
Note: Return of a ballot by anyone other than the voter is prohibited unless the person returning the ballot is rendering assistance to a disabled voter or an emergency absentee voter. Such assistance requires a declaration signed by the voter and by the person rendering assistance. The form (labeled “Third Party Ballot Delivery for Mail Voting Form”) can be downloaded from the Voter Resources page of the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/vote/voterresources and can be returned to any Voter Service Center.
Additional Election Resources:
The Delaware County Election Hotline (610-891-VOTE) is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. – noon. Hotline staff can answer calls related to the upcoming election, provide information about voter registration, mail-in ballots, vote-by-mail applications, polling place locations, ballot boxes, deadlines, and more.
Delaware County’s New Election Website – Delco Votes! is also available. Users will find up-to-date forms and applications, deadlines, and the latest news regarding the 2020 General Election. Delco Votes! can be found here: delcopa.gov/vote
* Voters should be aware that, per Pennsylvania state law, the third-party return of ballots is prohibited unless the person returning the ballot is rendering assistance to a disabled voter or an emergency absentee voter. Such assistance requires a declaration signed by the voter and the person rendering assistance. Copies of the form can be found at delcopa.gov/vote
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