My husband is a permanent absentee ballot voter for medical reasons.

In the beginning of the year we filled out and mailed our annual applications for mail in voting. Those applications were not delivered to the Carbon County Election Office.

We knew this because we receive an email when the Election Office receives our annual application as well as our votes. We completed new applications and those were delivered.

This summer we discovered my disabled husband had been removed from the absentee list. In 2022 he had filled out a permanent absentee form, which includes a doctor’s signature that he medically needs a mail ballot.

According to Act 77, the form for medical permanent absentee needs to be completed only once. The Elections Office somehow removed him from the list at the beginning of the year. We have completed a new form and he is back on the list.

My message to all you mail in voters of Carbon County is you need to check that you are on the list to receive a mail in ballot and make sure the Election Office has your email so you can keep track of your application and votes.

You can check your status at pavoterservices.pa.gov or call Carbon County Election. When you fill out your application for mail in voting, you need to give an email to get email notification your application is received, ballot is received, and vote is processed.

If you are a mail in voter and are not receiving emails, call the Election Office.

In summary, you can’t assume that you are on a list to receive a mail in ballot. You can’t assume that your votes will be delivered. You need to check your status and get emails to see that your vote is received.

Elaine Snyder

Lehighton