Pennsylvania voters won’t have to wonder about the fate of their mailed or absentee ballot thanks to a ballot-tracking tool from the state.
The online Pennsylvania Department of State tool gives you the chance to type in your name and basic information, and a page will let you know if your ballot has been received by your clerk as well as other pertinent voting information. Click here to access the tool.
When you search with the state tool, make sure you use your name as it appears on the ballot.
Once you submit, you’ll enter a page that gives you the status, with a number of categories that include the ballot type, a summary of the application and ballot status, and its status. The status column will read as “Vote Recorded” after your county has received your voted ballot. If you have an issue, it will provide you with a phone number and website to contact.
State officials say voters should not put mail-in ballots in the mail at this point. For several days, state officials have been urging voters who have not returned mail-in ballots to return them in person and not via the U.S. Postal Service. Hand-deliver your ballot to your county election office or polling place on Tuesday.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received no later than Nov. 6 by 5 p.m. However, there are expected legal challenges to votes arriving after Election Day. The U.S. Supreme Court has left open the possibility it could consider an appeal to exclude ballots arriving after Election Day.