U.S. Senate candidate sues Philadelphia elections over provisional ballots
At issue are provisional ballots provided to Philly voters who originally used mail-in ballots which were invalidated.
6 months ago
In this Nov. 6, 2020, photo, a canvas observer photographs Lehigh County provisional ballots as vote counting in the general election continues in Allentown, Pa. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Philadelphia voter Drew Peterson checked his voter registration status on the state website which confirmed that he was not expected to vote by mail.
“I felt my in-person vote was safer with all of the concerns over mail-in ballot legitimacy in the last presidential election,” he told WHYY News.
However, when he showed up to vote in person at his polling location, he was not allowed to because, according to the system, he had requested a mail-in ballot. As a result, he was only able to fill out a provisional ballot.
“My concern for my vote being thrown away is becoming a reality,” Peterson said.
Vice Chair of the Philadelphia City Commissioners Lisa Deeley has a message for voters who find themselves in the same predicaments as Peterson. She suggested if anyone is unsure if their mail-in ballot or provisional ballot has been counted, they should follow up with their local board of elections office.
“We want to make sure that every eligible vote cast is counted,” she said. “It’s just that simple.”
Voters anywhere in the commonwealth can use the Department of State’s provisional ballot search to check whether their vote was counted, partially counted or not counted. Voters may also call 1-877-VOTES-PA to check.
Deeley encourages each voter whose mail ballot is on the unverifiable Identification list to verify their ID ASAP. The city will provide a list of provisional ballots for voters to check after Tuesday.
Philadelphians can visit the city’s “Ballots with Unverifiable Identification” page to see if their mail-in ballot is on hold until they provide identification. In order to do that, they can visit Room 142 at City Hall during business hours. They also have the option of emailing or faxing a proof of identification form. Voters may also call their Board of Elections at 215-686-3469. The deadline to do so is Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at 5 p.m.
Montgomery County also provides a form that can also be emailed or faxed to the county board of elections or in person at One Montgomery Plaza, 6th Floor, 425 Swede St., Suite 602, Norristown, Pa. 19401. The deadline is 4:30 p.m. Nov. 12.
Voters in Bucks County can fix their ballots by phone or in person at 55 E. Court St., Doylestown, Pa. 18901 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 12.
Delaware County voters are asked to email the board of elections at delcoelection@co.delaware.pa.us, call (610) 891-4673 or bring identification in person to 201 W. Front Street, Media, Pa. 19063 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 12.
Deeley says that there are still several hundred provisional ballots in Philadelphia that still require “curing,” but there are also many more around the state.
While provisional ballots do not make as much news, the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Bob Casey and challenger Republican David McCormick is close enough such that provisional ballots may make the difference in the race. McCormick is currently about 40,000 votes ahead, just above the threshold that triggers an automatic recount.
“This is the same process that we follow every election, so we always have provisional ballots to count at the end,” Deeley said. “It’s just because of the state of the race; everybody’s so interested in it.”