Released: May 16, 2022
Tuesday, May 17 is Election Day! Polls will open at all 250 polling locations at 7 a.m. and remain open until 8 p.m. Here is a rundown of things that Delaware County voters should know before heading out to the polls (or a ballot drop box!).
There are only partisan contests on the 2022 Primary ballots, with no referenda questions. By law, that means that only voters already registered with the Democratic or Republican parties will be allowed to vote their respective party’s primary ballot. Voters who are registered as independents or with third parties will not receive a ballot during this election.
Delaware County voters may review the sample ballot that is specific to their precinct and party by visiting the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/sample.
Voters can locate their polling place on the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/pollingplace. Polling places can be accessed through a look-up tool, an interactive map, and a list (available as a downloadable PDF). While a small number of polling places change from election to election due to feedback from the community, construction, and other reasons, the vast majority of polling places typically remain unchanged. A total of 11 polling places for the May 17 primary have changed since the 2021 election.
These new polling places include:
As a reminder, by law, voters must go to their designated polling location to vote in-person on election day.
Ballots mailed through the US Postal Service on Election Day are unlikely to be processed by USPS and delivered to the County by 8 p.m. Ballots delivered after 8 p.m. on Election Day, regardless of the postmark date, will not be counted.
Delaware County Elections voters who have not yet completed and returned their vote-by-mail ballot (either a mail-in ballot or absentee ballot) are advised to return their ballot at any of the approximately 40 ballot drop boxes located throughout Delaware County or in-person at the Voter Service Center, located on the ground floor of the Government Center Building at 201 W. Front St., in Media. The Voter Service Center is open on Election Day, Tuesday, May 17, from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Delaware County voters may return their vote-by-mail ballots at any of the approximately 40 secured drop boxes located in municipalities across the County.
Ballot drop boxes are located at safe, secure, ADA-compliant locations and are under 24/7 video surveillance. Ballot drop boxes are large white metal receptacles, similar in size to a USPS mailbox, and clearly marked with the wording “Official Ballot Drop Box” and “Delaware County Board of Elections.” These drop boxes are designed for only one use: the return of vote-by-mail ballots by Delaware County voters in the weeks before Election Day. Postage is not required to return a Delaware County vote-by-mail ballot.
A list of drop box locations (and hours of operation) was included with the vote-by-mail ballots mailed by the County and drop box locations are also accessible on the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/dropbox. Most ballot drop boxes are open 24/7 through Election Day (Chadds Ford, Ridley Park, and the Government Center Building in Media have limited hours).
The deadline for voters to return their vote-by-mail ballots at the Voter Service Center or an official Delaware County ballot drop box is 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, May 17.
Voters are reminded that they can return only their own ballot. Voters cannot return ballots for spouses, family members, or other individuals—unless an official ‘3rd Party Delivery Form’ (formerly called the “Authorize a Designated Agent to Help You Obtain and/or Return Your Mail-in or Absentee Ballot”) has been submitted and approved by the PA Department of State. Voters who attempt to return ballots on behalf of other voters without authorization will be referred to the Delaware County District Attorney for investigation.
Voters who are casting a vote-by-mail ballot must mark their ballots in blue or black ink. Once the ballot has been completed, voters should place the ballot into the smaller of the two envelopes (marked Official Ballot Envelope), seal that envelope, and then place that into the larger pre-paid return envelope. Ballots returned without the Official Ballot Envelope are called "Naked Ballots" and cannot be counted.
Voters must also complete the voter declaration section on the exterior of the return envelope, being sure to include their signature, printed name, address, and date. Incomplete or inaccurate voter information may disqualify the ballot.
Military and overseas voters must complete their ballot and submit it for delivery by mail no later than 11:59 p.m. on the day before Election Day. The Bureau of Elections must receive voted military and overseas absentee ballots no later than 5:00 p.m. one week after Election Day.
Delaware County Elections maintains an Election Hotline at (610) 891-VOTE. The hotline is staffed by trained employees prepared to answer Delaware County residents' questions and provide a variety of services, and is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Election Hotline will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. - 12 midnight.
For more election information, voters are reminded that the Delaware County’s election website — Delco Votes! — provides news, sample ballots, ballot drop box locations, polling location information, access to downloadable and online forms, livestreams and recordings of Board of Elections meetings, and more at delcopa.gov/vote.