How to Vote by Mail or Early-In Person
If you are uncertain of your ability to vote in-person on election day, or if a medical / physical condition may preclude you from voting in-person, voting by mail (VBM) is a viable option to ensure you can cast your vote.
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Please review the options for applying for a mail-in ballot below, and email the UPT GOP with any questions. Whichever way you plan to vote, please make a plan to vote - your vote is crucial in every election.
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For any of the below instructions in Spanish, you can visit the PA Voter Website here.
Options for Applying for a Mail-In Ballot
Option 1) Apply for a mail-in ballot online. Follow the link on the right. For the November election, this form will usually "go live" in August.
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Option 2) Apply for a mail-in ballot by mail. Print out the PDF at the link on the right, follow the instructions and mail your application to the County of Delaware.
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Note: the paper applications differ for No Excuse Mail-in ballots and for Absentee ballots. Don't know which one to use? Follow this link.​
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Option 3) Apply in person at the Delaware County election board. You may request & receive your mail-in ballot and then vote the in same day. This is sometimes known as early in-person voting.
The deadline to vote early in-person, or to request a mail-in ballot is one (1) week before the upcoming election.
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Mail your ballot application to, or request a ballot in person at:
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County of Delaware Elections
201 W. Front St.
Government Center Bldg.
Media, PA 19063
Completing your mail-in ballot
You have received your mail-in ballot, now what? Below are some instructions on how to complete your ballot and submit it to the County to be counted.
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Step 1) Read the instructions carefully and mark your ballot. Be sure to complete the front and back of each page.
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Step 2) Once you've completed your ballot, seal your ballot in the inner secrecy envelope that indicates "official election ballot." Do not make any marks on the inner secrecy envelope.
Your ballot must be enclosed and sealed in the inner secrecy envelope that indicates "official election ballot" or it will not be counted.
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Step 3) Seal the inner secrecy envelope in the pre-addressed outer return envelope. Complete, sign and date the voter’s declaration on the outside of the outer return envelope.
If you do not sign and date below the declaration on the return envelope your ballot will not be counted.
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Step 4) Return your voted ballot to the county election board. Absentee and Mail-in Ballots must be received by 8 pm on election day at your county election board. To ensure your ballot is received by the deadline, return the ballot as soon as possible.
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Option 1) You can mail your ballot to the County Elections Board. Important to note that your ballot must be received by the County by 8 PM on election day. Postmarks do not count. We recommend mailing your ballot back at least 1-2 weeks in advance to ensure that USPS can deliver it in time.
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Option 2) You can return your ballot in-person at several locations: you can hand deliver your ballot to the County Elections Board at the Delaware County Government Building (address above); you can put your ballot into a drop-box - the UPT drop-box is located at the Township Building on Providence Road (visit this page to see local locations).
Questions you may have
Question) What if I requested a mail-in ballot, but decided that I don't want to vote by mail?
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No problem. Just take your mail-in ballot to your polling location on election day and inform the judge of elections that you wish to surrender your mail in ballot and vote in-person. The Judge will spoil / destroy your ballot and you will be able to vote in-person.
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Question) What if I requested a mail-in ballot, but it did not arrive before election day?
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Again - don't worry, you can still vote. On election day, you'll need to go to your polling location and tell the judge of elections that you never received your mail ballot and that you want to vote via provisional ballot. You will be handed a special provisional ballot that will be counted by the County after they ensure that your mail ballot did indeed not get submitted.
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Question) What if I'm not sure whether or not I will be able to vote in-person?
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The safest bet is to request a mail-in ballot and decide what to do at a later date. Referring to the above question, if you decide that you want to (or in this case are able to) vote in-person on election day, you can always take your mail-in ballot to your polling location on election day to have it destroyed so that you can vote in-person. This option gives you the flexibility to vote by mail should you determine that you are unable to vote in-person.