Pennsylvania counties let voters fix flawed mail ballots before rejection

Pennsylvania voters now have a clear path to fix errors on their mail ballots.

A 2025 ruling from the state Supreme Court requires counties to inform voters if their submitted mail ballot contains flaws that would prevent it from being counted. Before this decision, many voters only learned their ballots were rejected after Election Day. The new rule forces county election officials to send out notifications well in advance.

Most of the state's 67 counties have adopted a notice-and-cure process. Under this system, election boards contact voters whose ballots have issues such as missing signatures or date lines. The voters then have a specific window to correct the errors. If they fix the problem in time, the ballot is counted. If they do not, the ballot is rejected.

Not every county uses the same method. Some jurisdictions simply notify voters that their mail ballot is rejected. In those areas, the instructions tell voters to go to the polls on Election Day and cast a provisional ballot. The Supreme Court ruled that these provisional ballots must be counted, ensuring that voters who attempted to mail their ballots are not disenfranchised.

In the Philadelphia region, all five counties use the notice-and-cure method. Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, along with Philadelphia, follow this standard. Their boards of elections monitor incoming mail ballots for defects. When an error is found, the board reaches out to the voter to explain what needs to be fixed. This process applies to all voters who submitted mail ballots in these jurisdictions.

Voters in other parts of the state should check with their local election board. While the Supreme Court ruling applies statewide, the specific steps for curing a ballot can vary by county. Some counties may allow online corrections, while others require a mailed or in-person fix. The Department of State provides an online tool that allows voters in any of the 67 counties to track the status of their mail or absentee ballot.

Nearly 2 million Pennsylvania voters used the mail option in the 2024 general election. The availability of mail voting expanded for all voters in 2020. Election officials say the notice-and-cure process reduces the number of rejected ballots. It places the responsibility on the county to find the error and on the voter to make the correction. Voters who are unsure about their ballot status can contact their county election board for specific details.