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Clinton County seeing a surge in mail-in ballot applications

PHOTO PROVIDED Mail-in ballots and envelopes are stacked in the office of Clinton County Voter Registration Director Maria Boileau, waiting to be mailed to voters.

LOCK HAVEN — This year’s primary election certainly isn’t going to be like any other.

The date has been changed until June 2 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and all voters can vote by mail for the first time ever.

The mail-in ballot system is catching on in a big way here in Clinton County, with more than 1,200 applications for mail-in and absentee ballots received to date, according to Clinton County Voter Registration Director Maria Boileau.

“The total is growing every day. We got 600 last week… and that’s big for our county. We’re relatively small,” Baileau said. In the presidential election four years ago, Boileau noted that the county received 180 absentee ballots.

“We’re encouraging residents to use the mail-in option due to the coronavirus pandemic. We want to keep everyone safe and healthy. They can vote out of their homes and mail the ballots to us,” she said.

Responding to some who say that voter fraud is a possibility with the mail-in system, Boileau said the county’s election board is not concerned.

“We’re following all the state guidelines… reviewing the information, checking signatures to verify they are the voter’s signatures and more,” Boileau said.

Meanwhile, Boileau said Clinton County is getting ready for the primary and poll workers are being notified.

“When it comes to the polling places, if it becomes necessary, the board of elections can decide to combine polling places,” Boileau said, pointing to Act 12 of 2020 which rescheduled the primary election and made additional changes in the process due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Act 12 allows counties to temporarily consolidate polling places more easily as they work to relocate voting sites such as those at senior centers, now closed because of the COVID-19 emergency, she said.

For the primary election, many voters could be voting at different locations than in the past if they cannot or do not wish to vote by mail, Boileau said, adding that voters will be notified if their polls change.

She reminded voters that only those registered as Democrats or Republicans can vote in the upcoming primary election, and anyone with questions or concerns about the election may call her at 570-893-4019.

VOTE BY MAIL

Voters can apply to vote by mail for any reason or no reason at all, Boileau said, explaining the steps.

— You can apply for a mail-in ballot or a traditional absentee ballot online at clintoncountypa.com; or by mail to the Clinton County Voter Registration Office, 2 Piper Way, Lock Haven, Pa. 17745, until one week before the election. For help or to receive a paper application by mail, call 1-877-VOTESPA.com.

You can also sign up to become a permanent mail-in or absentee ballot voter and automatically receive ballots by mail for the rest of the year.

“There is a box to check on the primary election application to receive a mail-in application for the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3,” Boileau said.

For the 2020 primary, your application must be received online or at the county election office by 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 26. Applying online is easy, quick and secure. If you provide your email address, you will receive notifications about your application and ballot status.

Once you receive your ballot in the mail, you have until 8 p.m. on election day, June 2, to deliver your completed ballot to your county election office. If you are mailing it, do so as early as you can to ensure it arrives on time.

Voters who have already requested a mail-in or absentee ballot will receive a ballot for the rescheduled primary on June 2. There is no need to apply again if your address remains the same. If your address has changed since you applied, contact your county election office to provide your updates address.

Boileau is encouraging voters to seriously consider the new mail-in ballot option.

“Vote from home … stay healthy and safe,” she said.

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