Apr 3, 2020 3 min read

Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of State want citizens to know that they have more time to register to vote and to apply for mail-in and absentee ballots before the primary, which has been postponed until June 2 this year.

“None of us want to be in the position Ohio was (in), where they were deciding literally the night before the election whether to hold the election the next day,” Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said during a call with reporters on Wednesday. “Pennsylvania, we’ve been very much focused on preparation and planning in advance.”

Boockvar discussed changes to election dates made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, an outbreak of a highly contagious respiratory illness that prompted closures of businesses and other steps to limit gathering in public places to slow the spread of the illness. Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation authorizing the new primary date – which previously was April 28 – and other changes to election-related deadlines.

The new deadline to register to vote is May 18. Voters can apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot until May 26.

Boockvar said the bill gives county governments more leeway in some of their electoral functions, including to consolidate polling places temporarily.

“Counties can now begin processing and tabulating mail-in ballots and absentee ballots beginning at 7 a.m. on Election Day instead of having to wait until the polls close at 8 p.m.,” Boockvar said. “This should greatly assist counties in providing timely election results.”

Statewide, Boockvar said almost 250,000 registered voters applied for mail-in or absentee ballots so far in this primary cycle. The majority used a new tool online to do so, at the agency website votespa.com.

“I highly encourage everybody to enter your email address when you apply,” she said. “When you enter your email address, you’ll get notifications when you’re application’s received, when it’s approved … It takes all the guessing out of the process.”

She added that those who change in the primary date don’t need to apply again.

Boockvar also described recent changes to licensing rules to help medical professionals meet expected increases in need for health-care professionals.

“We are doing things like allowing retired practitioners to return to practice, easing licensing requirements for both in-state and out-of-state practitioners, enabling patient treatment for telemedicine,” she said. “We’re extending licensing-renewal deadlines and suspending continuing-education requirements and licensing-application fees.”