Haverford Democrats Answer Primary 2020 FAQ’s:
#1: What if I applied for a mail-in ballot but do not receive it before the June 2 primary?
- You will put on your face mask and go to your assigned, not-crowded polling site on June 2. (See Consolidated Poll Locations.)
- You will tell the election officials that you did not receive the mail-in ballot you requested. The officials will check to be sure you are registered.
- You will be allowed to vote with a “provisional ballot,” which goes to the Delco Bureau of Elections along with all the other ballots. Yours is flagged as “provisional” so staff can check to be sure you applied for but did not send in a mail-in ballot. Then your provisional vote becomes your vote.
- The goal is not to deny anyone a legitimate vote. The goal is to protect the sacred principle: “one voter, one vote.”
#2: What if I receive my mail-in ballot, but it arrives too late to realistically mail it back at the Bureau of Elections by June 2?
- You may go to any polling site and put your mail-in ballot in the Drop Box just inside the room where the poll workers are seated.
- Remember: polling locations have been “consolidated” to reduce the number of poll workers needed and because mail-in voting will reduce volume at physical voting sites. Check to see which voting locations will be open for the June 2 Primary.
- You may not turn in anyone’s ballot but your own. One voter, one vote!
#3: What are the ESSENTIAL steps I must follow in filling out and returning my mail-in ballot? Haverford Dems are grateful to Indivisible Philadelphia and H-CAN for sharing these important tips:
- Read ALL marking instructions so you vote for the right number of candidates in any given race. If you vote for too many candidates, your vote for that office will not count.
- Mark your ballot with black ink.
- When you have completed your ballot, refold it, place it in the enclosed “Official Mail-In Ballot” envelope (known as the “secrecy envelope”) and seal it.
- Then put this sealed secrecy envelope inside the “Voter’s Declaration” envelope. This larger, outer envelope is already addressed to the Delaware County Bureau of Elections. The outer envelope has USPS pre-paid postage printed in the upper right-hand corner.
- Be sure to complete and sign the “Voter’s Declaration” on the return envelope. If you do not do that, your envelope will not be opened.
- Mail the envelope or hand deliver it to the Bureau of Elections. Either way, your ballot must be received at the Delco Bureau of Elections by 8:00 p.m., June 2, 2020.
- If you make a mistake on your ballot, call the Bureau of Elections at 610-891-4673
#4: I want to vote in person. I recently registered (or re-registered) to vote at my current address, and I am voting for the first time since registering with that address. What do I need to bring to the polls?
- You must bring a “valid” I.D. that shows your current address. Driver’s license or PENN DOT card will work, as will a non-photo ID issued by PA or by the U.S. Government. You can use a firearm permit, a current utility bill, current bank statement, current paycheck, or government check. The goal here is to confirm that you live at the address where you are registered to vote.