PA counties let voters fix errors on submitted mail ballots

Pennsylvania voters who mailed ballots with mistakes can fix them in most counties. A 2025 Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling requires counties to notify voters when a submitted mail ballot contains errors that would lead to rejection. Most of the state's 67 counties have adopted a notice-and-cure process to handle these flawed submissions.

Under this process, county election boards send alerts to voters whose ballots have defects. The notification tells the voter the ballot will be rejected unless corrected. Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, along with Philadelphia, all use this method. The boards provide instructions for voters to cure their ballots before the election deadline.

Voters in counties that do not use the notice-and-cure process receive a different message. Those counties inform voters that their mail ballot is rejected and direct them to the polls on Election Day. In those jurisdictions, voters can cast a provisional ballot. The state Supreme Court ruled that provisional ballots from voters who mailed defective ballots must be counted.

Nearly 2 million Pennsylvania voters used mail ballots in the 2024 general election. Mail voting became available to all state voters in 2020. Each county offers an online tool where residents can track the status of their mail or absentee ballot. Voters with questions about their specific situation should contact their local county election board for guidance.

The breakdown of the curing process applies specifically to Philadelphia and its four collar counties. Voters outside this region must check with their own county election offices for local procedures. The state Department of State provides the online tracking tool for all 67 counties.