Westmoreland County approves drop boxes for mail-in ballots

A drop box for mail-in ballots will be available at the Westmoreland County Courthouse starting Oct. 18 and at five regional locations during the two weekends before the Nov. 2 general election.

Westmoreland elections officials said more than 19,000 ballots were mailed to voters on Wednesday, according to election bureau Acting Director Greg McCloskey.

“It’s all that have been applied for as of today,” McCloskey said.

Nearly 60,000 county voters used mail-in ballots during November’s presidential election, the first time no-excuse remote voting was used in Pennsylvania. More than 13,000 voters mailed in ballots during this year’s spring primary.

Mail-in ballots must be returned to the county by 8 p.m. on Nov. 2 to be counted.

Drop boxes will be available for voters to use in lieu of the mail.

Starting next week, a drop box located in the courthouse lobby will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on Saturdays. On Election Day, ballots will be accepted at the courthouse drop box until 7:30 p.m. During the 30 minutes before polls close on Nov. 2, mail-in ballots can be returned in person to the election bureau office at the courthouse, McCloskey said.

The county also will have drop boxes available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 23 and 24 and on Oct. 30 and 31 at locations in Unity, Monessen, Murrysville, New Kensington and near Youngwood.

On Oct. 23, drop boxes will be placed at the Westmoreland County Community College Murrysville facility on Mellon Road; Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity, and the county’s adult probation office on Riverview Drive in Monessen.

On Oct. 24, drop boxes will be available at Westmoreland County Community College at its Youngwood area campus and at its New Kensington facility on 5th Avenue.

Drop boxes will be at the Youngwood and New Kensington locations on Oct. 30 and in Murrysville, Unity and Monessen on Oct. 31.

“There’s no change. This is what we did in spring,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes.

Meanwhile, the deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 18.

Mail-in ballot applications will be accepted through Oct. 26.