What to do if you have problems voting at the polls in Pennsylvania on Election Day

Election Day is fast approaching, and Nov. 8 is your last opportunity to vote in person in the 2022 midterm election.

If you have a mail-in ballot and want to use it to cast your vote, it’s not too late. Just don’t put it in the mail. It’s too late to guarantee that your ballot will be delivered on time through the Postal Service. Instead, take your ballot to your county election office or other county drop off location or drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

If you would prefer to vote in person, polls open in Pennsylvania starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday and will close at 8 p.m. Just so you know, there can be problems at the polls. We’ve broken down how you can fix them.

In Pennsylvania, you can find your polling place using the Department of State’s Polling Place Search tool at tinyurl.com/PAPollingPlace.

Location changes had to be finalized 20 days before Election Day, and the Polling Place Search tool should be up to date. If your polling location can’t be found after entering your address into the search tool, contact your local election office.

First, double check to make sure you’re at the polling location that matches where you’re registered to vote. You can confirm your polling place using the Department of State’s Polling Place Search tool at tinyurl.com/PAPollingPlace.

If you feel certain that you’re at the right polling place, spell your name out for the poll worker and ask them to check again for your name. If your name still can’t be found, you can vote using a provisional ballot.

Provisional ballots are used when county election officials need more time to determine a voter’s eligibility status. The county board of elections will determine if you were eligible to vote at the election district where you voted, and your vote will be counted within seven days after the election.

» READ MORE: How long will it take to get Pa. election results?

Bring your mail ballot with you when you vote. You must surrender your mail ballot to your polling location to vote in person. You’re advised to bring your entire mail ballot packet, including both envelopes, but as long as you have the larger declaration envelope, and ballot to be voided, you can cast your vote on a machine.

If you no longer have your mail ballot, or it never arrived, you can vote by provisional ballot, which will be counted after the county board of elections verifies that you haven’t already voted by mail.

Yes. Voters are allowed to wear clothing with political candidates names, slogans or other messaging while voting, as long as you are not “electioneering” — soliciting or telling others how to vote. Election staff are not allowed to wear political clothing at all.

There are cases where staff at your polling place will mistakenly ask you to remove or cover up the article of clothing deemed political, however, there is no law prohibiting you from wearing it.

» READ MORE: A guide to debunking election misinformation

Statewide polling hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line. You have the right to vote as long as you show up before 8 p.m.

In Pennsylvania, it’s illegal for anyone to intimidate or coerce you to vote for or against a particular candidate or political issue. If you feel intimidated or threatened at the polls, notify a poll worker immediately. Many have been trained on de-escalation tactics, and all poll workers serve to help you move through the polling process smoothly.

If the situation feels life-threatening, don’t hesitate to call 911. You should then call one of the following hotline numbers, which will be open for 24 hours on Election Day.

» READ MORE: What to do if you feel intimidated at the polls.

If you can’t read or write, aren’t able to read the names on the ballots, have difficulty understanding English, or are blind, have a disability, or unable to operate the voting machine, you can bring someone to assist you in the voting process. You will be asked to sign an Assistance Declaration at your polling location, unless the poll book already indicates “assistance permitted.” The person assisting you is not allowed to tell you who to vote for.

Yes, they should. All polling places in Pennsylvania should have accommodations for voters who need them, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you find that voting isn’t accessible to you at your polling place, you can contact your local election board.

Voting machines also have accessibility features. Counties across Pennsylvania use different voting systems, so you’ll have to check what voting system your county uses at tinyurl.com/PAVotingSystems. There you can learn what accessibility features and devices are available to you while voting in person.

Voting machines in Philadelphia include:

Ask for help from a poll worker to set up the assistive devices you want to use.

In many states, including Pennsylvania, you must sign your name in the poll book at your polling location before casting a ballot. Poll workers verify that your signature matches the one on file with the board of elections. If a poll worker challenges your signature, you can still vote, but you’ll be asked to follow an affidavit process to confirm your identity.

Yes. If you have an unexpected emergency, including if you test positive for the coronavirus or are quarantining at home, you can fill out an Emergency Absentee Ballot at tinyurl.com/EmergencyAbsenteeBallot. You must also fill out an authorization form that allows a designated person to drop off this ballot for you. Your Emergency Absentee Ballot must be submitted by 8 p.m. on Tuesday to your county board of elections.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia Election 2022: Ballot questions explained

If you included your email address in your mail-in ballot application, you should receive an email notification once your ballot is received. But anyone can track their ballot at tinyurl.com/PABallotTracking. The “Ballot Received” column tells you the date that your county received your ballot, and the “Status” column tells you if your vote was recorded.

If you have questions about the status of your ballot, you can try calling your local election office, but know that they’re likely receiving a high volume of calls and might not immediately answer. If you dropped off your ballot at a county election office or other official county drop-off location or dropbox, your ballot was received. The state’s online ballot tracker doesn’t always reflect ballot recordings in real time, according to the City of Philadelphia, and there can be delays.

If you submitted your ballot by mail and are concerned because it’s still not marked as received, you can show up at your local polling place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and vote by provisional ballot. The county board of elections will verify if your mail ballot was processed and any duplicates will be voided.