Lehigh County, PA-
An incorrect set of instructions was sent along with mail-in and absentee ballots mailed to voters on October 9, 2023. Specifically, the instructions direct voters to “put your ballot in the white secrecy envelope that says ‘Official Election Ballot’ and seal it.” However, the secrecy envelope is actually yellow, not white. This error has been corrected for subsequent mailings.
Lehigh County election officials confirm that there are no errors or issues with the mail-in or absentee ballots themselves or the envelopes sent with the ballots. The only error is in the instructions.
After filling out their ballot, voters must place their ballot inside the yellow secrecy envelope labeled “Official Election Ballot” and seal it. They must then place the yellow secrecy envelope into the white mailing envelope. The voter declaration on the white mailing envelope must be signed and dated as of the date of signing.
Ballots that are returned without the yellow secrecy envelope or are not signed and
dated will not be counted.
Voters who already returned their ballots without the yellow secrecy envelope may vote at the polls on Election Day via provisional ballot.
The 2023 Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 7. Polls will be open from 7 am until 8 pm.
All mail-in and absentee ballots must be received by the Office of Voter Registration no later than 8 p.m. on November 7. Ballots postmarked on or before November 7 but not received until after 8 p.m. on November 7 will not be counted.
The Office of Voter Registration is open weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm, with the following exceptions:
- Saturday, October 28 – 9 am to 1 pm
- Tuesday, October 31 – 8 am to 5 pm
- Saturday, November 4 – 9 am to 1 pm
- Tuesday, November 7 – 7 am to 8 pm.
The deadline to register to vote is Monday, October 23.
The deadline to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31.
On-demand, over-the-counter voting will be available starting Monday, October 16, and continuing through 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31. During that time, voters may apply for a mail-in ballot, receive their ballot on the spot, and fill out and return their ballot.
Please contact the Office of Voter Registration at 610-782-3194 with any questions.
