Catch an error on your ballot? Here’s what to do to make sure your vote counts
More than 37,000 Centre County voters have applied to vote by mail, but voters should double check that the correct candidates are listed before casting their ballot.
Connie Lucas, a Worth Township resident, received her ballot in the mail and noticed the wrong state representative race and precinct were listed. Lucas, who resides in the 81st Legislative District, should choose between state Rep. Rich Irvin or challenger Ian Kidd. Her ballot, however, included candidates in the 171st Legislative District, House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff and challenger Peter Buck, and listed an incorrect polling place.
“A few votes can really make a difference for a candidate,” Lucas said, adding that both she and her daughter received ballots with the error.
Lucas reached out to the county elections office to notify staff about the error on Monday, she said. Centre County Commissioner Michael Pipe said this is the first notification the county has received about ballot errors. He added that voters have alternative options to ensure their vote is counted in the general election.
If a voter notices their ballot contains an error, they may take it to the county elections office, located at 420 Holmes St. in Bellefonte, where they may be issued a new one.
Voters who applied to vote by mail or absentee may choose to vote in person on Tuesday as long as the ballot has not been cast. Voters who want to vote at the polls are asked to hold on to their mail-in ballot and return envelope. They may bring them to the polls on Election Day where they will be asked to sign a declaration, saying they did not yet vote. The mail-in ballot will be surrendered on site.
If an individual loses or forgets their mail-in ballot, they may vote by provisional ballot on Election Day.
Last week, the Centre County Board of Elections approved over 37,000 vote-by-mail applications, and zero were challenged as fraudulent.
