Sep 19, 2014 2 min read

Citizens who want to vote in this election must be registered on or before Oct 6.

To be eligible to vote, people must be citizens and residents of their voting precinct for at least a month before Election Day, Nov. 4. They must be 18 years old by Election Day.

Printable voter registration applications and county elections contact information are just two of the many resources available through VotesPA.com. Voters cannot register online from home because the registration form requires a signature.

When casting votes in a new precinct for the first time, voters should be prepared to show identification for proof of residence, such as a driver’s license, school ID, utility bill or paycheck that includes a home address.

Civilian voters who are unable to go their polling places should request an absentee ballot as soon as possible, because the absentee voting process is multi-step. To allow the elections office to process the application, send the ballot and get it back from the voter, elections offices must have all completed absentee ballot applications by 4:30 p.m. Oct. 28. Completed ballots must be returned to the elections office no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 31.

On the ballot this year in Pennsylvania are the offices of U.S. Congress; governor and lieutenant governor, who run as a slate; even-numbered state Senatorial districts; all members of the state House of Representatives; and referendum questions related to the tenure of judges. In the 2010 gubernatorial election, Washington County had about 2,700 requests for absentee ballots.

The Washington County elections office began processing requests for absentee ballots Sept. 15. As of Thursday, workers had 94 requests for absentee ballots.

Anyone who would like to register to vote or request an absentee ballot application can call the Washington County Elections Office at 724-228-6750. Forms also are available in some libraries. Or, prospective voters can go directly to the election office in the Courthouse Square office building, 100 West Beau Street, Suite 206 to fill out the form.

On Wednesday, the Washington County commissioners approved a month-to-month agreement with Career USA Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., for temporary technical staffing services for the newly refurbished elections office. Both the purchasing and elections department requested time to review staffing proposals after advertising for a second time. In the past, the workers have tested for accuracy 700 electronic voting machines at a rate of between $12 and $15 an hour.