Primary election: Early voting open, mail-in ballots light ahead of May 19 vote

Early voting in Lebanon County is open for registered voters through May 12, one week prior to the primary election on May 19.

Sean Drasher, director of Lebanon County Bureau of Elections & Voter Registration, said voters can visit the office on the second floor at the county municipal building during regular business hours to cast their ballot for this election.

The county municipal building is at 400 S. 8th St., Lebanon, and voter registration is in Room 209 on the second floor. The county municipal building’s operating hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

“Unlike a presidential year, when early voting was robust, so far there are no lines and if you want to vote early, you can have your ballot and be done,” Drasher said. “It’s been very light.” 

Here is a list of voting precincts in Lebanon County for registered voters wishing to cast a ballot on May 19. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the county’s 60-plus voting precincts.

Election debate

There is a contested race for a four-year term for the 48th district seat on the Republican ticket in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Incumbent Chris Gebhard will face challenger Clovis Crane on the ballot.

Republican voters can learn more about these two candidates – as well as write-in candidate William Carroll – during a debate this evening being co-sponsored by 99.7 WiLBuR Radio and LebTown. 

The debate will be held at 7 p.m. in the City Council meeting room at Lebanon City Hall in downtown Lebanon. It will also air live on 99.7 FM and 1270 AM and be streamed on the WiLBuR radio app and LebTown’s Facebook page. 

Sample ballots for registered Democratic and Republican voters in Lebanon County for this election are available for voter review on the county’s voter registration page. 

Mail-in ballots

Drasher told LebTown that 7,666 mail-in ballots have been sent as of late last week and 1,683 have been returned. The last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot is Tuesday, May 12. 

“We’re still light, our baseline is approximately 8,400. Right now, with what we’re getting in, and we only have a few weeks yet, we might hit the baseline,” Drasher said. “We’re about 1,000 under the baseline and inbound (mail) traffic is light.”

All mail-in and civilian absentee ballots must be in the hands of election officials when the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19. Voters are only permitted to send or deliver their own mail-in ballots unless an authorized Designated Agent Form is included with another voter’s ballot.  

The Designated Agent Form is for voters who have a disability and need help picking up or returning their ballot or other voting materials, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website.

Election office update

Preparations for the upcoming election in a few weeks in Lebanon County have been moving along smoothly, according to Drasher, with no issues encountered along the way.

“Everything is going great, no blips whatsoever,” he said. “Everything is going smoothly, and we’re happy.” 

Drasher noted that about half of the poll workers for this election are new. 

“About every four years, we have this kind of turnover. We also have to fill gaps if someone resigns and need to realign them with another precinct,” he said. “They’re not necessarily new poll workers, just at a new location.”

To prepare the new poll workers, Drasher said five training classes were held recently, adding that the sessions were tailored to the new people. (Training is held for new and old poll workers alike prior to every election.)

“Half of all poll workers are new this time, including the poll judges,” he said. “We usually get a few new poll workers but this time it is half, which is not unusual.”

How to register to vote, check status

Monday, May 4, is the deadline to register to vote in the primary, when voters will select Democratic and Republican candidates for governor, state and U.S. representatives.

There are multiple ways to register, including online through the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website. Other ways entail mailing or personally delivering a completed registration form to the county election office. If delivering the registration form, voters who do so by May 12 can vote that same day.

Individuals who need to contact the local office or get more information about the upcoming election can also visit Lebanon County’s election office’s website.

Voters who do not know if they are registered can check their status online. This tool also lets voters update their registration, which is required if someone moves or changes their address, changes their name or wants to change their party.

Voter eligibility, as noted by the Department of State, requires U.S. citizenship and residency in Pennsylvania. The department’s Voter Education Toolkit has information for specific people, including college students, military and civilian overseas, and first-time voters. 

Important election dates

• May 4: Final day to register to vote.
• May 12: Final day to apply for a mail ballot.
• May 19: Primary. Polls are open 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
• May 19, 8 p.m.: Deadline for all mail ballots to be received.