Released: May 17, 2021
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18, for the 2021 Municipal Primary Election. Every registered voter in Delaware County is eligible to cast a ballot, regardless of their party affiliation.
Delaware County voters may review the sample ballot that is specific to their precinct and party by visiting the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/sample.
In addition to party candidates, this election features four statewide ballot measures that are up for consideration by all voters, regardless of party affiliation. Voters registered with the Republican Party or Democratic Party will qualify for that party’s ballot. Voters not registered with either of these political parties will receive a third-party (nonpartisan) ballot with only the referendum questions.
Voters may verify their home precinct polling place at the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/polls. All locations can be found in a PDF list, a helpful lookup tool, and on an interactive map. Some polling places had to change due to reasons beyond the control of the election administrators.
Delaware County continues to operate its network of secure ballot drop boxes. In all, over 40 ballot drop boxes are accessible throughout the County. All but two are open 24/7 through Election Day. The Chadds Ford and Ridley Park sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. All drop boxes will be closed at 8 p.m. The complete list of locations can be found on the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/dropbox. The drop boxes can be found in a PDF list, a helpful lookup tool, and on an interactive map.
Delaware County voters may use any official Delaware County ballot drop box, regardless of their residence or municipality. Voters should remember that the return of a ballot by anyone other than the voter is prohibited unless the person returning the ballot is rendering assistance to a disabled voter or an emergency absentee voter. Such assistance requires a declaration signed by the voter and by the person rendering assistance; the declaration, accessible from the Delco Votes! website, must be received by the County prior to casting a ballot on another’s behalf.
All secured ballot drop boxes are under 24/7 video surveillance. Counterfeiting, forging, tampering with, or destroying ballots is a second-degree misdemeanor.
Vote-by-Mail ballots from US civilians must be received by 8 p.m. Election Day, regardless of postmark. Any voter who still needs to return their Vote-by-Mail ballot should use a drop box or surrender the ballot at their home precinct polling place and cast a new ballot. Military and overseas voters’ ballots can be received through Tuesday, May 25.
All voted ballots must be enclosed in the secrecy envelope (marked “OFFICIAL ELECTION BALLOT”), and make sure the secrecy envelope is sealed, and placed in the larger return envelope (marked “VOTER’S DECLARATION”). The return envelope MUST be signed. If the envelopes are not sealed, the ballot is considered “naked” and cannot be counted. The exterior envelope also must also be signed and dated to be eligible to be counted.
Delaware County voters who applied for—but still haven’t received—a vote-by-mail ballot are urged to:
visit our Voter Service Center and receive and vote a replacement ballot, or,
go to the voter’s home precinct polling place on Election Day and cast a provisional ballot.
If the Vote-by-mail ballot is not been received by the 8 p.m. deadline and the voter’s registration is valid, that provisional ballot can be counted.
Delaware County voters can call our Election Hotline at (610) 891-VOTE (8683) or appear in-person at our Voter Service Center at 201 W. Front Street in Media, for last-minute questions and guidance regarding any election-related issues or concerns. Voters who appear in-person at the Voter Service Center in Media may also return their completed vote-by-mail ballot, request a replacement if their vote-by-mail ballot has not arrived at their residence, and may pick up forms and other materials for future elections.
Both resources are available on Election Day from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The indoor mask requirement remains in effect for all poll workers during the Municipal Primary on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Voters are encouraged, but not required to wear mask. All participants must continue to practice social distancing.