POLLING PLACES
For the November 3 election, with few exceptions, we will be returning to the same polling places that were used for the November 2019 election. A few precincts have been identified as ones in which an election cannot or should not be held such as a senior living facility, while others have construction going on that will prohibit use.
Currently, the division is seeking new locations for those polling places and will work with the municipality and our Board of Elections to identify alternative locations. New polling locations must be ADA accessible and must be located in the voting precinct, or an adjacent precinct.
We are also updating the SURE system so that the polling place locator displays the confirmed locations and will be sending postcard notifications to all voters of their November 3 polling place. Press releases and other public announcements will be made regarding those locations moving forward.
POLL WORKERS
With the return to 1,322 polling places, we will need approximately 6,500 poll workers for the in-person voting on November 3. In early July, letters were sent to the poll workers who have worked in both, or either, of the last two elections asking for their commitment to work this Election Day. To date, we have received responses from over 3,400 poll workers with approximately 2,500 indicating their willingness to work. Staff will be calling those poll workers who have not yet responded in the coming week.
If you are a poll worker who worked in at least one of the last two elections, and have not received a letter or cannot find the letter you were sent, you can RSVP your willingness to work on November 3 by logging into the county’s Support Center at https://callcenter.alleghenycounty.us. If you don’t have an account, you will need to create one. Once logged in, select the "Request Service" tile and then choose "Election Poll Worker" to provide your response if you’re not automatically directed to that page. You can also call the Elections Division at 412.350.4501 or 412.350.4502.
Interested in volunteering? You can follow the same process as noted above for the county’s Support Center.
MAIL-IN VOTING
The state’s portal at https://votespa.com is now active for voters to apply for mail-in or absentee ballots for the November 3 application.
Voters are encouraged to apply online, but the county will also be sending out paper applications again to all voters in the county. That mailing is expected to go out in mid-September.
For voters who had previously applied for mail-in or absentee ballot and no longer want to receive it, there is a form on the Elections website that can be completed and returned to cancel that status. It is available under the "Resources" tile.
Anyone who changes their mind after ballots are sent out and wishes to vote in person, must take their ballot and the declaration envelope to their polling place to have it spoiled before they will be allowed to vote in person. A voter who has misplaced those items can still go to their polling place but will have to vote by provisional ballot.
We’re in the count down with 90 days to go to the November 3 election.
During the months of August and September, we’ll be issuing this e-news every other week. In October, we’ll move to a weekly e-news and then in the 10 days leading up to the election, you’ll get daily updates. Post-election will also be a more frequent release as we provide updates on the Return Board and certification process as well before moving to a monthly newsletter.
We look forward to hearing from you about items that you’d like to see included, and what information you want to hear more about in future editions. Send your suggestions to web.comm@alleghenycounty.us.