Allegheny County's elections board OKs ballot drop-off sites with 3-0 vote

Allegheny County’s new ballot drop-off locations are finally official.

The county Board of Elections voted unanimously Wednesday to add six locations where voters can drop off mail-in ballots for the upcoming primary election.

Staffed drop-off locations will be placed in Squirrel Hill, Moon, McKeesport, North Park, South Park and Boyce Park. They will be in addition to an existing site in Downtown Pittsburgh.

With the vote, the board settled a brief legal drama that had pitted its members against one another.

On one side was Councilman at-large Sam DeMarco, the head of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, who said it was vital that the board have a role in authorizing the satellite locations — and sued County Executive Sara Innamorato to press his point.

On the other was Innamorato, a Democrat, who announced the plan before bringing the issue to the board.

And in the middle was the third board member, Councilwoman at-large Bethany Hallam, another Democrat and frequent Innamorato ally who nonetheless found herself supporting some of DeMarco’s positions.

On Wednesday all three came together.

Innamorato said she was pleased the plan was approved unanimously.

When asked why she announced the move before bringing it to the board, Innamorato said she had to do so quickly to ensure that locations were accessible to voters with special needs by the April 23 primary.

DeMarco explained his vote by saying that the legal process had been followed. He said that he was satisfied with the plan’s security and election integrity measures.

Hallam said she supports drop-off locations and other moves to expand voter access.

She introduced an amendment to the drop-box resolution to add a McKeesport location to the list because she saw a “hole in the Mon Valley” in the original plan, which included five locations.

The election board’s decision brings back drop-off locations. Allegheny County used them in the 2020 elections, but they were scrapped the following year because of budgetary concerns.

Over a dozen speakers attended the elections board meeting. The majority, including some members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, favored drop-off locations, particularly because the primary falls on Passover, one of Judaism’s high holy days.

Rabbi Yitzi Genack, of congregation Shaare Torah in Squirrel Hill, said there are about 300 voters in his congregation who typically vote at the synagogue, but they will be unable to do so this year because of Passover.

David Voye, the county’s election director, said 16 polling locations have been moved from Jewish community centers and synagogues because of Passover.

Genack approved of the plan and said he appreciated that one of the locations will be in Squirrel Hill.

“I stand in support of this proposal, so that the Jewish people can practice their religious freedom and their Jewish obligation to vote in the elections of their land,” he said.

Hallam and DeMarco initially were critical of the process by which Innamorato introduced the plan to use drop-off locations. Both said the plan needed to first pass muster with the elections board.

DeMarco sued the county executive over the drop box location, claiming that Innamorato could not unilaterally create drop-off locations before getting board approval.

DeMarco and the four other plaintiffs who joined him in the lawsuit reached a settlement earlier this week.

He said Wednesday that the lawsuit “served its purpose.”

The drop-off locations will be staffed by multiple county workers and have a police guard, according to DeMarco. Election employees will ensure the drop boxes are empty before operating hours, DeMarco said.

Election officials said ballots will be transferred after operating hours to the election warehouse, where they will be kept in a locked facility under 24-hour surveillance.

Innamorato said county workers will ensure that voters are dropping of only their own ballots, in accordance with state law, and they will remind voters to accurately sign and date their ballots when depositing them.

Voye said over 106,000 voters had applied for mail-in ballots in Allegheny County so far, including 88,000 Democrats and 18,000 Republicans.

Voters may drop off mail-in or absentee ballots at the following locations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 13; from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 14; from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 20; and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 21:

• Carnegie Public Library of Squirrel Hill: 5801 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 1521
• South Park Ice Rink: 30 Corrigan Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15102
• North Park Ice Rink: 1200 Pearce Mill Road, Wexford, PA 15090
• Boyce Park Four Seasons Lodge: 901 Centerview Drive, Plum, PA 15239
• 911 Call Center: 150 Hookstown Grade Road, Moon, PA 15108
• A McKeesport location to be determined later

Voters can drop off mail-in and absentee ballots at these locations during operating hours the two weekends before Election Day.

The Downtown voting kiosk will open to drop off ballots starting Monday, April 15.

Voters can park briefly in front of the Ross Street entrance to the County Office Building at 542 Forbes Ave. to deposit their ballots.

That kiosk is available at the following dates and times:

From 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday, April 15-Thursday, April 18; 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, April 19; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 20; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, April 21; 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. the day before Election Day, Monday, April 22; and 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Election Day, the same as polling place hours.