Montgomery County voters must apply for a mail-in ballot by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 general election.

All completed ballots must reach the county election office by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, according to The Reporter Online.

More than 106,000 mail-in ballots have already been sent to county voters, and about 60,000 have been returned, Montgomery County Election Board Chair Neil Makhija said at a Monday, Oct. 19, commissioners meeting. The county had 626,419 registered voters as of Oct. 12, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

"The fastest way to return your ballot is to a drop box which is directly to the county. You don't have to worry about any mail delays," Makhija said.

The county operates 18 drop boxes across Montgomery County. The closest one to Whitemarsh and Plymouth residents sits at the Whitemarsh Magisterial District Court, 4002 Center Ave. in Lafayette Hill. Other nearby options include the Upper Dublin Magisterial District Court at 1301 S. Bethlehem Pike in Ambler and the Upper Dublin Library at 520 Virginia Drive in Fort Washington.

Drop boxes are available around the clock, according to the county's voter services office. The box inside One Montgomery Plaza in Norristown has different hours: weekdays from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., weekends from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters must place their completed ballot inside the secrecy envelope first, then seal that inside the official return envelope and sign and date the back, according to the Montgomery County voter services website.

Ballots not in both envelopes cannot be counted under Pennsylvania election law. Only the voter may return their own ballot. All drop box locations are monitored by video surveillance.

Weekend satellite offices

Residents who have not yet applied for a mail-in ballot can do it in person at one of five satellite voter service offices open Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the county's office locations page.

No appointment is needed.

The five locations are:

  • Lansdale: Community Connections Office, 421 W. Main St.
  • Narberth: Lower Merion Magisterial District Courts, 925 Montgomery Ave.
  • Norristown: One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede St., Suite 602
  • Pottstown: Office of Public Health, 364 King St.
  • Willow Grove: Willow Grove Annex, 102 N. York Road

Makhija said the satellite offices let voters who are busy during the work week apply for and cast a mail-in ballot on the spot.

The county also launched an automatic ballot-curing process this cycle. Makhija said 251 ballots had gone through the system as of Monday, Oct. 19, meaning replacement ballots were automatically sent to voters whose original submissions had errors. He urged those voters to return the corrected ballots quickly.

In-person voting on Election Day

Voters who prefer to cast a ballot in person can do so on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote, according to the Main Line Media News election guide. First-time voters at a new polling place must bring identification.

The main Montgomery County Office of Voter Services is on the sixth floor of One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede St. in Norristown, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Residents can call 610-278-3280 or visit montcovotes.com for more information.