What to know about mail-in voting in Pennsylvania in 2023

Registered Pennsylvanians planning to vote by mail ahead of the Nov. 7 general election can already begin requesting their ballots.

The process can be completed at the election office for the voter's county of residence or online through the Pennsylvania Department of State, according to commonwealth employees. Voters must provide the last four digits of their Social Security number or their Pennsylvania driver's license or Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ID number if applying online.

Here are a few other things to know about voting by mail.

When can Pa. voters expect to receive mail-in ballots?

Voters will not receive their ballots until they are finalized at the county level. The Pennsylvania Department of State estimates that mid-September will be the earliest voters can expect to receive their mail-in ballot.

How to make sure Pa. mail-in ballot is counted

After making selections, voters are to seal the form in the inner secrecy envelope marked "official election ballot."

The ballot will not be counted unless it's sealed in this envelope, according to the Department of State. People are also asked not to make any markings on the inner secrecy envelope.

A voter's declaration on the outer return envelope must also be signed and dated.

When do mail-in ballots need to be returned in Pa.?

To ensure that ballot is counted, it must be received by county officials no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots postmarked by that time are deemed ineligible.

More:Laughlin's suit unearths emails about his view of Kelly; Mastriano, Trump election lies

Do you need an excuse to vote by mail in Pa.?

No-excuse mail-in voting was adopted in Pennsylvania through the bipartisan Act 77 of 2019.

Republican lawmakers, citing concerns with court interpretations of the law, have since attempted to repeal aspects of it through legislation and legal challenges on constitutional grounds. House Bill 1300 was vetoed by former Gov. Tom Wolf in 2021, and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania upheld Act 77 last year.

Bruce Siwy is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Pennsylvania state capital bureau. He can be reached at bsiwy@gannett.com or on Twitter at @BruceSiwy.