Oct 25, 2019 2 min read

Voters who need absentee ballots are encouraged to apply well before the Oct. 29 deadline.

Absentee ballots are available for voters who will be absent from their municipality Nov. 5, or those who cannot reach the polls because of an illness or physical disability, whose application is received by the elections office no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 29.

This year, voters have the option to apply online on the state’s votespa.com website for an absentee ballot, but if the process relies on the U.S. Mail, the completed, or voted, absentee ballots must then be received by the elections office no later than 5 p.m. Nov. 1.

A ballot bearing a Nov. 1 postmark that arrives at a county elections office after the 5 p.m. deadline that day is insufficient.

Absentee ballot applicants must provide basic voter registration information and specify the reason for applying to vote absentee. All those voting by absentee ballot will be required to provide a Pennsylvania Driver’s License number, PennDOT ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

If none of these are available, a photocopy of an acceptable photo ID must be included. A list of approved, alternative types of identification is available on the absentee ballot page of VotesPA.com.

If in doubt, voters may call the Washington County elections office at 724-228-6750 or the VotesPA toll-free number at 1-877-VotesPA (877-868-3772) regarding acceptable ID.

Voters can submit their applications in person can do so at the elections office between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, Courthouse Square office building, Suite 206, 100 W. Beau St., Washington.

Deadlines are the same in all counties in the state. The Greene County elections office is on the first floor of the Greene County Office Building at 93 E. High St. in Waynesburg. The phone number for the office is 724-852-5230, and the hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.