Author: Nafis Nichols

Delaware County Elections’ 2023 Primary Election Kickoff

What voters need to know with one month until Election Day

Delaware County Elections continues preparations for the May 16, 2023 Primary Election. Final polling site assignments, ballot mailings, and equipment testing are proceeding, and staff and volunteer training activities are well under way in anticipation of increased voter requests for services and information during the final weeks before Election Day.

The deadline to register to vote—for first-time voters and those who need to update addresses, names, or party affiliations—is Monday, May 1. The deadline for voters to apply for a Vote-by-Mail ballot is Tuesday, May 9. Election Day is Tuesday, May 16, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (which is also the cut-off for the County to receive civilian mail-in ballots).

Primaries: Who Can Vote?

In most areas, only voters registered with the Democratic or Republican parties will be eligible to vote in the Primary Election. Independent and third-party voters will be able to participate only in the two areas with Special Elections: the 163rd State Representative District and Radnor Township Ward 4. In all other parts of Delaware County, only voters registered with the Democratic or Republican parties will be able to cast ballots in the Primary Election.

Two Special Elections Where all Eligible Voters may Participate

Pennsylvania holds special elections when there is a vacancy in an office and the law requires an election to fill the post for the remainder of that term.

Due to vacancies in office, voters in the 163rd State Representative District will be electing a new House Representative, and voters in Radnor Township’s 4th Ward (Precincts 1 and 2), will be electing a new Township Commissioner. In both special elections, voters should be aware that the winning candidates will take office shortly after the election. This is unlike the primary contests, where candidates are seeking the nomination to represent a party on the November ballots. The Special Election for each of these offices will be at the end of the Republican and Democratic Primary ballots and will be the only item on “third-party” Special Election ballots for third-party/non-affiliated voters registered in the 163rd District and Radnor Ward 4. More information about Special Elections is available at delcopa.gov/special.

Sample Ballots, Candidate Lists, and Polling Places

Sample ballots, a candidate list and other resources are available at the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/sample. Easy-to-use polling place resources, including an interactive map, downloadable list, and a lookup tool, will be finalized soon at delcopa.gov/polls.

Voter Registration

To vote in Delaware County, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age and have been a resident of the precinct at least 30 days before Election Day. Qualified voters can register online at delcopa.gov/register2vote, by mail (forms are at delcopa.gov/registerbymail), or in-person in Voter Registration at the Government Center Building at 201 W. Front Street in Media.

In-person registrations are due by 4:30 p.m. on May 1, and on-line registrations must be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. on May 1. Voters can verify their registration status at the Department of State’s Votes PA website at delcopa.gov/regstatus.

Vote-by-Mail Ballots

The bulk of Delaware County vote-by-mail ballots requested so far will be mailed on or before April 21. Vote-by-Mail ballots are sent only to those voters who have completed and signed an application to vote by mail in 2023, which must include valid ID.

Voters who can apply to vote by mail by 5 p.m. on Tues., May 9. Vote-by-Mail applications can  be submitted on the Votes PA website accessible at delcopa.gov/vbm-app.

Secure Ballot Drop Boxes

Delaware County Elections maintains more than three dozen secure ballot drop boxes with video security. Drop boxes are located across the county, and Delaware County voters can use any drop box in the county.

The Government Center drop box (inside the Orange Street entrance) will open April 20, 2023. All other County ballot drop boxes will open May 1. Most drop boxes are open 24/7; however, two indoor sites have limited hours. A complete list of sites and hours is at the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/dropbox.

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.

The Delaware County Voter Service Center will open Thurs., April 20 and provide a variety of in-person voter services weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Starting April 26, hours will be extended on Wednesday evenings through 8 p.m., and Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon. On Election Day only, the Voter Service Center will open at 7 a.m. and remain open through the close of polls at 8 p.m.

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

Apply for mail-in voting at delcopa.gov/vbm

Voting by Mail in Delaware Count is Quick, Convenient, and Secure

Delaware County Elections reminds voters that voting by mail in Pennsylvania is quick, convenient, and secure. Last November, more than 58,000 Delaware County voters participated with vote-by-mail ballots, accounting for more than one-fifth of all ballots cast.

Voters who wish to vote by mail must submit an application to request their vote-by-mail ballot. The application must include valid ID. Ballots are NOT mailed to voters automatically, even if the person voted by mail previously.

To apply for a vote-by-mail ballot, Delaware County-registered voters can visit the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/vbm and complete the online application or download and complete a paper application.

Voters can also receive, fill-out, and submit a vote-by-mail application in person at the Voter Service Center, located on the first floor of the Government Center Building, at 201 W. Front St., in Media, PA.

If approved, a voter will be scheduled to receive a vote-by-mail ballot for both elections to be held in 2023 – the May Primary and the November Municipal Election—weeks before Election Day. For the upcoming May 16 Primary Election, vote-by-mail ballots are scheduled to be mailed to voters in mid-April.

Once received, voters will find that completing a vote-by-mail is easy, though voters must be sure to follow these three steps to ensure their ballot is counted:

1. Mark the ballot.
2. Place the ballot in the white secrecy envelope and seal that envelope.
3. Place the secrecy envelope in the Ballot Return Envelope, and sign, date and seal that Return Envelope.

Once completed and properly sealed, Delaware County voters have several convenient options for returning the ballot. Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned to the Bureau of Elections through the voter’s regular mail carrier, mailed back at any USPS Post Office or blue box, delivered in-person at the Delaware County Voter Service Center in Media, or dropped off at any of the County’s more than three dozen red, white and blue drop boxes located in municipalities across the County.

County ballot drop boxes are scheduled to open on May 1 for the May 16 Primary Election. All Delaware County drop boxes are ADA-compliant and under 24/7 video surveillance.

Please note that the deadline to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot is May 9, 2023—one week prior to the May 16, 2023 Primary Election, and voters will have until 8 p.m. on Election Night, May 16, to return their ballot to the Bureau of Elections. Ballots must be RECEIVED by the Bureau by 8 p.m. on Election Night, so voters are advised to return their ballot in-person or through a County drop box instead of relying on USPS near or on Election Day. By law, ballots that arrive after 8 p.m. cannot be counted.

A complete list of Delaware County ballot drop boxes, including street addresses and hours of operation (most will be open 24/7), can be found at delcopa.gov/dropbox.

Questions? Call the Delaware County Election Hotline at (610) 891-VOTE, visit the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/vote, or stop by our Voter Service Center, Mon. – Fri., from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.