During the 2020 election, new voting machines and mail-in ballots caused a lot of voters to feel uncertain about whether their ballots were counted.

This year, voter registration offices have had a quieter run up to election day. But they still expect people to call with questions about whether their mail-in vote was counted, or if they used the right writing utensil at the polls.

“If anyone has any concerns, they should check with us before they go to the polls,” said Lisa Dart, Carbon County’s election director.

Pennsylvania’s vote.pa.gov website allows voters to look up their polling place, and read about the voting machines which will be used in their county. Local election offices will also be open before polls open and after they close to answer questions from voters.

Mail-in ballots are being accepted in person until 8 p.m. county election offices. Unlike last year, ballots postmarked but not received on election day will not be counted.

Locally, the number of mail-in ballots is much lower than in the 2020 general election. In Carbon County, 3,476 voters applied for ballots, and 2,600 have returned them. During the 2020 election, over 11,000 voters cast mail-in ballots.

People who voted mail-in last year didn’t automatically receive ballots. They had to submit a new application for a 2021 mail-in ballot.

Some people who are voting in person may find that a polling place which was moved prior to COVID-19 has been relocated to its original location. Accurate polling places were listed on voter registration cards sent to registered voters over the summer.

A lot of people who vote in person still have concerns whether they are using the correct ink, and if the scanners work correctly.

Nearly all Carbon County voters fill out paper ballots, with the exception of a handful of voters who use a touchscreen for disability accessibility reasons. This year, Carbon County ballots will be made up of two pieces of paper -- one with local races, and a second with statewide judicial races and ballot questions.

The two pages must be scanned separately. After a page is scanned, a screen on the scanner will read “ballot cast successfully.” A separate message will say that the scanner is ready, and they can insert the second page.

The “ballot cast successfully” is the only confirmation that voters will receive that their vote was cast. Last year, a state website where mail-in voters could check to see if their ballot was received caused confusion because it does not reflect ballots cast at the polls.

During the 2020 election, rumors were widespread about different types of ink affecting whether a vote was counted. Carbon County polling places will be issuing Sharpie markers, which is what the ballots themselves instruct voters to use. The ballots have been designed so if a marker bleeds through, it doesn’t accidentally mark a bubble on the other side of the ballot.

The fact that mail-in voters can use pens for their paper ballots has created some confusion among in-person voters. But Dart says Carbon County voters should be confident in the writing utensil they are given by the poll workers at their precinct.

“If you go to the polling place, use the marker that they provide,” Dart said.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.