The April 23 Pennysylvania primary is this week and now is as good a time as any to make a plan to vote on Tuesday.
Election experts and voting rights advocates often recommend voters plan out their trip to the polls every year to avoid potential problems.
Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, which means only Republicans and Democrats will get to vote for their respective party’s candidates in several federal and statewide offices. The last day to register to vote in the primary was April 6.
The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot was April 16, which means any eligible voters who haven’t requested a no-excuse mail-in ballot or civilian absentee ballot will have to vote in person.
Voters with a sudden illness or other emergency can apply for an emergency absentee ballot after 5 p.m. the Tuesday before an election. More information about emergency absentee ballots can be found at votes.pa.gov.
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When can I vote in person in PA primary?
Polls open in Pennsylvania from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 23.
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If you are in line to vote when the polls close, do not leave the line. Everyone in line to vote before the polls close will get a chance to vote.
Check your status and know your polling place in Bucks County
Two of the most important things you should know before you go to vote are whether your registration is active and where you need to go to cast a vote.
You can check your registration status by name or identification information and use your address to find your polling place through pavoterservices.pa.gov.
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Ideally, you should check your voter status well before the voter registration deadline to give election workers time to resolve any potential problems.
If you believe you’re in the right polling place, but poll workers cannot find you in the pollbook, you can request to vote by provisional ballot.
Do I need ID to vote in Pennsylvania primary?
First-time voters, or previous voters using a new polling place for the first time, must present some form of identification to poll workers.
A full list of acceptable IDs, like a Pennsylvania Drivers’ License or PennDOT ID Card, is available online at vote.pa.gov.
If you forgot your ID and are a first-time voter at that polling place, do not leave. You can request to vote by provisional ballot.
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How do I vote in Pennsylvania?
Bucks County uses a hand-marked paper ballot system called ClearVote, made by Clear Ballot Group, Inc., and a video of how to cast a ballot is available through vote.pa.gov.
When voting in person and after checking in at your polling place, a poll worker will direct you to a voting station after providing you with a ballot and a pen. You must fill in your votes, clearly and fully marking your choice (filling in the oval) on the paper ballot.
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Review your selections and make sure you’ve voted in all the contests you wish to vote in and then print off your ballot.
Check that your printed ballot is correct. If there are any errors, notify a poll worker so your ballot can be spoiled, and you can vote again.
Once finished, you will be directed with your paper ballot to a voting machine to process your votes.
Take your correct and printed ballot to a nearby scanner and scan it in. The screen will notify you if your ballot was successfully cast. Notify a poll worker if you have any error messages after scanning your ballot.
Scanned ballots fall into a secure lock box for tallying after the polls close.
What if I need assistance voting?
Voters with language access issues can contact the state’s election hotline at 1-877-VOTES for assistance.
All of Bucks County’s polling places have at least one ballot marking machinewith ADA-compliant accessibility features, including an audio jack to hear ballot options read aloud, a “sip-and-puff” device with USB connector and visual magnifications options.
A full list of accessibility options and other voting machine information for Bucks County can be found through vote.pa.gov.
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If you need help voting due to a disability, you may bring someone with you to help you vote, as long as that person is not your employer, a Judge of Elections or your union representative.
The first time you have someone help you vote, the election officials at your polling place will ask you to complete and sign a form called a Declaration of Need of Assistance. After the first time, your registration record will note that you completed the form. This declaration is also available in Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese.
Chris Ullery is the Philadelphia Hub Data Reporter for the USA Today Network. Reach him at cullery@couriertimes.com or find him on Twitter at @ulleryatinell.
