No, 'early voting' does not start in Pennsylvania on Sept. 16

Early in-person voting will not start in Pennsylvania next week, despite what several national media outlets have reported this month.

On Thursday, The New York Times wrote that on Sept. 16 “Pennsylvania starts in-person early voting and begins sending mail-in ballots” to voters. USA Today reported on Tuesday that “early voting for some counties” in Pennsylvania would begin Monday. And Fox News reported on Sept. 3 that “early voting begins on Sept. 16 in Pennsylvania.”

Those reports may create misunderstandings about how Pennsylvania’s voting works, election officials say, and they ignore the fact that ballots are being delayed by ongoing court cases.

“We have been hearing from voters and other entities that ballots will be going out on Monday, September 16. That is not accurate,” Cumberland County Elections Director Bethany Salzarulo said in a statement. “Historically mail-in and absentee ballots are sent out three to four weeks prior to any election, and we are on track to do the same for the upcoming presidential election.”

Pennsylvania has a voting option that’s similar to what other states call early in-person voting — typically offered at convenient early-voting polling sites — but it’s not exactly the same, and it won’t be available next week.



https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/09/pennsylvania-early-voting-september-16-fact-check/