Delaware County Elections Begins Release of Vote-by-Mail Ballots

Released: October 7, 2022

Delaware County Elections has begun the process of releasing the initial batch of vote-by-mail ballots (including both no-excuse mail-in ballots and traditional absentee ballots) to those Delaware County voters who submitted a vote-by-mail application for the Nov. 8 General Election prior to Sept. 25, 2022.

In all, more than 42,000 vote-by-mail ballots processed and approved by the Delaware County Bureau of Elections will be mailed October 7 and 8. Vote-by-Mail ballots requested on or after Sept. 27 will be mailed in subsequent mailings. The deadline to apply to Vote by Mail is Nov. 1, and applications may be submitted on the Votes PA website at delcopa.gov/vbm-app.

Delaware County voters have the option of returning their completed vote-by-mail ballot through the United States Postal Service or through any one of the more than three dozen ballot drop boxes located in municipalities across the county. Postage is NOT required.

Most ballot drop boxes will be open and accepting Delaware County vote-by-mail ballots on Mon., Oct. 24. Voters who wish to use a drop box before Oct. 24 may use the ballot drop box located in the lobby of Government Center Building in Media. This drop box, easily accessible to voters from the Orange Street entrance to the complex, is the only drop box open now.

The complete list of Delaware County ballot drop boxes can be found on the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/dropbox. Ballot drop box locations have remain largely unchanged over the past few elections, with a two recent exceptions: the Upper Chichester drop box has been discontinued at the request of the municipality, and the Media Borough drop box has been discontinued by the Bureau of Elections due to its close proximity to several other easily accessible drop boxes.

Delaware County voters who intend to cast a mail-in or absentee ballot.

Voters are reminded 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 form is accessible on the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/vbm.

To assure smooth processing of your ballot, voters should complete the declaration on the return envelope and avoid returning a so-called “naked ballot.” Each voter should place the voted mail-in/absentee ballot in the secrecy ballot provided, seal it, and then place that secrecy envelope in the larger return envelope. Once the return envelope is sealed, the voter should be sure to sign and date the declaration on the outside of the return envelope.

Delaware County voters may check the status of their Vote-by-Mail ballot application with the Pennsylvania Department of State's Election Ballot Status tool, accessible through the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/vbm. Similarly, voters unsure of their registration status can check online at delcopa.gov/regstatus.

The Voter Service Center in Media is open Mon. through Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Voter Service Center will be open on the holiday on Mon., Oct. 10. Then, starting Oct. 12, the Voter Service Center will have expanded Wednesday evening hours (through 8 pm) and starting Oct. 15, Saturday morning hours (9 am-noon). The Voter Service Center processes applications and provides help to voters who do not receive, lose, damage or need replacement mail-in materials.

Additional Resources: The Election Hotline, Voter Service Center and the Delco Votes! website

Delaware County voters have several resources available to help simplify the voting process. The Delaware County Election Hotline (610-891-VOTE) is available Mon. through Fri., 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Delaware County’s election website — Delco Votes! — provides news, information, sample ballots, ballot drop box locations, polling location information, access to downloadable and online forms, livestreams and recordings of Board of Elections meeting at delcopa.gov/vote.