Monday deadline to register to vote
The Washington County elections office notes that residents who plan to vote in the Nov. 3 municipal and special election must be registered by Monday.
The upcoming contest is known as a municipal election, but because of the resignation of state Sen. Matt Smith in the 37th Senatorial District, which includes a large part of southern and western Allegheny County plus Peters Township in Washington County, a special election has been scheduled there, also on Nov. 3.
Wes Parry, Washington County assistant director of elections, hasn’t found masses of people converging on his office.
“This summer leading into this election has been slow. Real slow,” he said. Parry has been in his post for two years, and periods leading up to presidential primaries and elections tend to be the most hectic. “Since July, it’s been rather dead,” Parry said.
Registered voters who have moved or changed their name or party affiliation must also notify the elections office by Monday.
To qualify to vote, one must be a U.S. citizen at least one month prior to the election, a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district at least 30 days before the election, and 18 years of age on or before the day of the election.
Applicants needing to register to vote, or to change their name, address or party affiliation may do so by using the state’s online voter registration process at www.register.votesPA.com. Those applicants who have a driver’s license or state identification card can link their signature on file with the state Department of Transportation to their voter record. The record will then be electronically transferred to the Washington County Elections Division for processing and approval. Applicants who do not have a Pennsylvania driver’s license or identification card will be able to print, sign and mail the completed online application to the elections office.
Those who are unable to print the application may request that the Pennsylvania Department of State mail them a signature card to complete and return to the Elections Division. All printed online applications and signature cards must be postmarked no later than Monday.
Individuals may still register by applying in person Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the elections office on the second floor of the Courthouse Square office building, 100 W. Beau St., Washington. The elections office will remain open until 5 p.m. Monday to accept hand-delivered voter registration forms.
Registration-by-mail forms may also be used to register or to change name, address or party affiliation. These forms are available at armed services recruitment centers, Area Agencies on Aging, as well as many branches of the U.S. Postal Service, and state, county and municipal offices. Registration-by-mail forms must be postmarked by Monday.
Washington County residents who have questions or would like to verify their registration status may check the www.votesPA.com website. “If you haven’t voted at all in the last five years, you are probably no longer registered,” Parry said. “If you have voted, then you probably are (registered).
When someone has not voted for the past five years, elections offices mail a letter. One of three things then happen, according to Parry. The letter is returned as undeliverable by the post office because the person has moved or the address on file with the elections office is incorrect. In the second instance, no one replies to the letter. Under these two circumstances, the voter is categorized as “inactive.” In the third instance, a person receiving the letter sends return mail to the elections office asking that he or she be categorized as an active voter, who, for whatever reason, has chosen not to go to the polls.
Inactive voters remain in that category for two more federal general elections, which include even-numbered years when Congress, U.S. Senate and/or president is on the ballot.
“Approximately eight or nine years of not having voted can pass before someone is knocked off the voter rolls,” Parry said.