Mail-in, absentee ballots will start going out to Allegheny County voters this week

Voters in Allegheny County who applied for mail-in and absentee ballots should begin receiving them soon, as the first batch of such ballots should be mailed out by the end of the week, officials said.

More than 100,000 mail-in and absentee ballots have gone out so far, said county spokeswoman Amie Downs, and they should be delivered to the post office for mailing by week’s end.

Over-the-counter voting will also be available 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each weekday starting Wednesday through May 10.

The Pennsylvania primary is May 17.

Downs said that over-the-counter voting has been available for decades — it is not a new process.

To do so, a voter must go to the counter in the Elections Division and apply in person for a mail-in or absentee ballot. The application is then processed using a system that makes sure a voter is registered, hasn’t already applied for a ballot does not have any other issues that would prevent them from voting.

The voter then gets a ballot specific to their individual municipality, ward and precinct along with the standard secrecy and declaration envelope. Voters can complete the ballot right then and there and turn it in or take it and return it any time before 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Space will also be available in the lobby of the County Office Building in Downtown Pittsburgh for the process, including areas for voters to complete their ballots in private, Downs said.

Applications for mail-in or absentee ballots must be received by elections officials by 5 p.m. May 10. Applications are available online at votespa.com/ApplyMailBallot.