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Philadelphia, Pa. — The Pa. Department of State has redesigned the provisional ballot envelopes that counties use in an effort to make them easier to read and more user-friendly.
“Every registered voter in our Commonwealth should have the opportunity to cast their vote and make their voice heard in each election,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said during a press conference in Philadelphia. “We believe these changes to the provisional ballot envelopes will have a positive impact, just as the changes we made to mail ballot materials two years ago did.”
The update builds on 2023 changes to mail ballot materials, which led to a 57% decrease in mail-in ballot rejections. Despite this improvement, 29.12% of provisional ballots in Pa. were rejected. The most common reason for rejection was that the voter was not registered. The second most common reason was an incomplete ballot envelope.
Commonwealth Media Services
The new envelope design features a layout that clearly instructs voters in which fields must be filled out, with highlights on the two places where the envelope must be signed. The envelopes also help election workers by identifying which fields they need to complete before and after the ballot is completed by the voter.
The Department of State collected design feedback from county election officials in Philadelphia, Berks, Butler, Mercer, and Greene Counties. The officials mentioned a need for enhanced usability for both voters and poll workers.
“During this redesign process, we listened to our county election officials who told us the design of the provisional ballot envelopes led to missing signatures and incomplete envelopes, which ultimately led to the ballots being rejected,” Schmidt said. “I want to thank the county election officials who worked with us in this redesign process, which is another step toward ensuring that Pennsylvania elections remain free, fair, safe, and secure.”
Schmidt said that he expects counties to use the new materials for the 2025 general election. To help counties with the cost of replacing their current provisional ballot envelopes, the State Department is offering rant funds to counties who opt to use the new envelopes.
Commonwealth Media Services
“I’m extremely proud of the work that went into redesigning the provisional ballot envelope,” Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein said. “Improvements to envelope design such as these may appear small, but they can make a big difference in reducing errors that might prevent Pennsylvanians from exercising their right to vote.”
County election officials may ask a voter to vote by provisional ballot under certain conditions. Provisional ballot voters are asked to follow the following instructions:
Complete the sections on the envelope labeled Voter Affidavit, Voter Signature #1, and Voter's Current Address in front of election officials
Mark the provisional ballot in an accessible and private area of the polling place
Seal the provisional ballot in the secrecy envelope
Seal the secrecy envelope in the provisional ballot affidavit envelope
Complete Voter Signature #2 on the envelope in front of election officials
Return the sealed envelope to an election official
Receive a provisional ballot identification receipt
Within seven days after the election, county boards of elections decide whether each provisional ballot vote should be counted.
For more information on voting in Pennsylvania, including mail and provisional ballots, call the Department of State's year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA, visit vote.pa.gov, or follow #ReadytoVotePA on social media.
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