Lebanon County voters interested in casting their General Election ballot early have one more week to do so.
As a courtesy to its readers, LebTown is sharing what you need to know to successfully cast your ballot before early voting ends on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
One-stop shop for voting
Early voting in Pennsylvania is different than in other states. In some states, voters can use their local precinct to cast their ballot. That’s not the case in Pennsylvania because state law allows only one location to be used for early voting.
In Lebanon County, early voting is being conducted at the Lebanon County Municipal Building at 400 S. 8th St. during normal business hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. That means early voting ends in Lebanon County at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
A reason to vote early is to avoid the expected long lines on Election Day, since it appears that turnout will be strong on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
As of Sunday evening, Lebanon County has 95,259 confirmed registered voters, according to Sean Drasher, director of Voter Registration/Elections. He noted there are 26,628 Democrats, 53,096 Republicans, and 14,867 Independents “with a smattering of other parties” in an email to LebTown.
Read More: New record set for total number of Lebanon County registered voters
“That will go up a bit by end of day (Monday) but you won’t have an accurate number for a few days yet,” Drasher added.
At a meeting of the county’s Election Board last week, Drasher gave an update on the wait time for early voting. He noted that the process to vote early is running about 15 to 20 minutes, adding he’s “pretty happy where we’re at right now” with that process.
“There are some lines right now, but it is not constant – we do have some lulls,” said Drasher during the meeting. “To vote in person in the state of Pennsylvania is a little confusing. There is no early voting, per se, like in other states.”
How to vote early in Lebanon County
Drasher explained the process after County Commissioner and Election Board member Bob Phillips noted there is some confusion about early voting.
“To vote early, what we do is we have people come in, fill out a mail-in ballot application, which I know bothers some people, I understand that,” said Drasher. “Then we hand them their ballot on the spot and they are able to write their vote in one of the privacy areas out here (in the hallway outside the elections office) and we collect it immediately.”
County administrator Jamie Wolgemuth said he’s overheard talk in the hallway from voters who wonder why they have to fill out a mail-in application to vote early. The county’s elections office sits adjacent to the offices of the County Commissioners on the second floor of the municipal building.
“You said it bothers some, I’ve overheard in the hallway where they don’t want to fill out a mail-in because they are here, but it is one in the same application,” said Wolgemuth.
“It is,” replied Drasher. To vote early, you have to fill out a mail-in ballot application.”
Phillips then asked Drasher when early voting ends in Pennsylvania.
Drasher said it ends on Oct. 29, since that’s the last day to apply for a mail-in or a civilian absentee ballot. Any voter who hasn’t requested a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot or voted early by the close of business on Oct. 29 will have to vote one week later on Election Day.
During the Election Board meeting, Faith Bucks of South Londonderry Township asked Drasher what prevents an early voter from trying to cast another ballot on Election Day. Bucks is the chairman of the South Londonderry Township Board of Supervisors.
“Everything is tracked immediately, so when someone votes early or via mail, it flags their record so that if they were to go on Election Day, they’ve already flagged (as having voted),” Drasher responded.
He added that people who have voted by mail-in or absentee ballot or via early voting do show up on Election Day at their voting precinct stating they haven’t voted or that they believe their vote hasn’t been counted. In those cases, they are allowed to vote via provisional ballot, and then all provisional ballots are checked post-election against voter records so that no one can vote more than once during a given election.
Mail-in ballot voting drop-off location
Any registered voter who wishes to avoid potential long lines at their voting precinct on Election Day has the option to vote via mail-in ballot. Mail-in ballots must be in the hands of county election officials when voting precincts close at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Bugli clarified for LebTown that a person dropping off their mail-in ballot who’s in a line – whether in their car or inside the municipal building – or are in line at their polling precinct by 8 p.m. will be allowed to deliver their ballot or vote.
“If there is a line at the drop off location in the parking lot or inside, as long as a person is in line by 8 PM, they will be able to submit their ballot,” Bugli wrote in an email to LebTown. “Once 8 PM hits, the line will be cut off and no one will be able to get in line to drop off their ballot, just like at a precinct location.”
Voters who want to ensure that theirs is received by election officials can deliver their ballot at the county municipal building at the drive-by satellite office in the parking lot at the county municipal building or at the elections office during regular business hours. On Election Day, the elections office and its satellite location will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., the same hours as polling precincts.
“That is a big reason why we have the shed outside – to make it easy,” said Drasher. “So that people, on the last day, don’t even have to come into the building. We’re going to get that ballot in.”
Spanish-speaking voters
Any registered voter whose first language is Spanish can receive assistance at the election offices for services in the coming days prior to the election. Deputy director Joy Scarbrough told LebTown the agency had hired a Spanish translator, who was slated to start work late last week. However, as of the close of business Monday, she still hadn’t started working at the elections office, according to Drasher.
Scarbrough also noted that the elections office was working to secure Spanish translators at voting precincts. While that is still to be determined, Drasher emailed LebTown Monday evening that while those details haven’t been finalized, there should be Spanish translators at all of the county’s wards, which includes various voting locations in Lebanon city.
A list of all 60 voting precincts in Lebanon County can be found here.
Important dates to remember
Oct. 29: Last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot.
Nov. 5: GENERAL ELECTION.
Nov. 5: Last day for the County Board of Election to receive voted mail-in and civilian absentee ballots (must be received by 8 p.m.).
Nov. 12: Last day for County Board of Election to receive voted military and overseas absentee ballots (submitted for delivery no later than 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 4).
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