PA Voters Can Now Request Mail-in Ballots for Elections

By Bill Festa, CRS
May 8, 2020
2 min.

During this challenging time, Realtors® are coming together to help their communities and I know many of you are focused on your families and your clients.

PAR continues to work on your behalf to get real estate back in business, with changes that reflect CDC guidelines.

While I’ve been changing my behaviors and business practices, I did think about one very important event happening in 2020 – elections. I take pride each spring and November going to the polls and participating in our democracy. It’s one of our fundamental rights as Americans, and I realized that what is happening with COVID-19 could have a major impact on that democratic process.

We’ve already seen this impact first-hand – Pennsylvania announced that our primary election has been postponed to Tuesday, June 2. We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen in the next few weeks and months, but casting your vote in the primary election can be something that you don’t have to worry about thanks to recent changes in our state election law.

Pennsylvania now allows registered voters to request a mail-in ballot for any reason. This may be a great option for you to continue participating in our democratic process while also protecting your health. Voting by mail is safe and is common in the majority of states throughout the country.

This week, PAR launched an outreach campaign to educate members and Pennsylvanians about the vote-by-mail process and to encourage them to apply for a mail-in ballot for the primary election on June 2. The outreach campaign features a direct mail piece, digital advertising and email communications to educate Pennsylvanians on this process. Realtors® and local associations will have access to resources and content to share with clients, families and friends. All these resources are available at PARealtors.org/Vote.

I know we find ourselves in an uncertain time right now. I hope each of you stay safe and healthy and join in making sure the Realtor® voice is heard in the upcoming primary election.