The Allegheny County Elections Division will have extended hours, including weekend hours, for in-person ballot returns for voters participating in the Sept. 19 special election to replace Democrat Sara Innamorato in the 21st state House District.
Innamorato resigned from her position in July to focus on her bid for Allegheny County Executive.
The special election will decide control of the state House; Innamorato’s departure left a tie in Harrisburg of 101 Democrats and 101 Republicans.
Democrats chose Lindsay Powell as their party nominee. Republicans nominated Erin Connolly Autenreith.
The 21st district includes parts of Pittsburgh like the Strip District and Lawrenceville, as well as the nearby northern suburbs of Reserve, Shaler, Etna, and Millvale.
According to county officials, 5,751 voters have applied for a mail-in or absentee ballot; 46% have returned their ballots to the Elections Division.
Beginning Sept. 13, mail-in or absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Ross Street entrance of the County Office Building at 542 Forbes Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. The right lane of Ross Street closest to the building will be sectioned off, so voters can pull over near the entrance and temporarily park their car while they return their completed ballot.
Until then, ballot returns are available in the County Office Building lobby.
The extended hours for the Ross Street entrance ballot return are as follows:
- Wednesday, Sept. 13 through Friday, Sept. 15: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 16 and Sunday, Sept. 17: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 18: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 19: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Over-the counter voting in the lobby of the County Office Building will remain available through 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 12 – which is also the deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot for the special election. Voters can apply for, receive, complete and return their ballot in one visit, if desired.
State law requires voters to return their own ballot. People who cannot return their own ballot in-person because of a disability can authorize one person to return the ballot on their behalf.
Returned ballots must be placed in the secrecy envelope. Voters should not make any marks on the secrecy envelope. “Naked” ballots will not be counted.
The declaration envelope must be signed and dated. Ballots with an incorrect date or missing a signature, date or both cannot be counted.
Workers in the elections division on the third floor of the County Office Building can also reissue ballots if a voter made an error on theirs, or applied for but did not receive a mail-in or absentee
