Nearly one million Pennsylvanians have opted to vote by mail in the June 2 primary, and state officials are hoping to provide the funding and framework to grow that record-setting number significantly higher before the deadline.

“Did I mention that we’re encouraging everyone to vote by mail?” Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar joked Monday, having already brought up the topic a half-dozen times or more.

Boockvar and Gov. Tom Wolf encouraged voters to apply as soon as possible to vote by mail at VotesPA.com — though they still ensured residents that anyone who wishes to vote in person will be able to do so.

“Polling places will still be open, although where you vote may change,” Wolf said.

Pennsylvania has about 8.5 million registered voters.

In the 2016 primary, 84,000 votes were cast under the old absentee ballot system, which was available only to people who were out of town or had another acceptable reason for not being able to vote in person. The new mail-in system is available for anyone for any reason.

To help accommodate that change, Boockvar announced $13 million in pandemic- and election-related funding would be going to counties “to be used for increased staffing, equipment, protective supplies, facilitating the increased volume of mail-in or absentee ballots and other measures to improve voting security.”

Pennsylvania has joined with New York and five neighboring states to increase purchasing power to buy personal protective equipment that will be provided for free to polling places.

Boockvar said typical polling places that are closed right now because of the pandemic — schools, community centers, clubs and event halls — will be able to serve as polling places in the primary. The primary was moved from April 28 as fears of the spread of the coronavirus swept the nation.

While some public facilities like schools can be legally mandated to serve as polling locations, private facilities would have a choice.

“But I think Gov. Wolf and Secretary (of Health Rachel) Levine would strongly urge both public and private facilities to work with their counties, serve as polling places and serve democracy,” Boockvar said.

Residents should wear masks when they vote, just as with current guidelines on venturing out in public to shop, Wolf said.

Asked if unmasked voters would be turned away from the polls, Wolf appeared a little frustrated.

“I’m not a lawyer, but if this is going to work, it’s going to work because Pennsylvanians recognize that they don’t want to infect other Pennsylvanians if they go to the store, if they go back to work and certainly if they go to a polling place,” he said. “The commonwealth is not forcing anyone to do anything, but we are saying: this is something that you need to do to help protect yourself and others.”

As state officials encourage more residents to opt for mail-in voting, they are working with the Legislature to allow counties to begin processing mail-in and absentee ballots prior to 7 a.m. on election day.

“We’d like to see it moved up way before that,” Wolf said, acknowledging many counties had to furlough workers amid the pandemic and may be short-staffed. “I think these are the types of things that will help counties adjust to the big surge (in mail-in ballots).”

County-specific funding also could go toward election security, Boockvar said in response to a question about two Allegheny County voters receiving incorrect mail-in ballots.

“Mail-in and absentee ballots have a specific voter ID number attached to them, and only one ballot can be entered into the system under that number,” she said, encouraging residents to call their local county election office if they receive an incorrect ballot.

Boockvar said while a fully mail-in voting process would be ideal during the pandemic, it simply isn’t feasible.

“The best way, at this time, to balance public health emergency needs with access to voting is to have a ‘hybrid election,’” she said. “There’s just not enough time to really ensure adequate participation in our democracy through vote-by-mail alone. That’s why we’re looking at this as a multi-front approach.”

Mail-in ballots can be requested until the deadline of 5 p.m. May 26 at VotesPA.com.

“I hope it allows many Pennsylvanians to have their voices heard that otherwise wouldn’t,” Wolf said.

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