NORRISTOWN – More than 123,000 mail-in ballots have been returned to the Montgomery County Office of Voter Services with one week remaining until the general election, officials said Monday.
There’ve been 184,801 mail-in ballot applications approved and 123,817 returned as of late Monday, according to a county spokesperson.
“Over 100,000 people in Montgomery County have submitted their ballots and we’re on track for historic turnout this year which is great for everyone in Montgomery County,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Neil Makhija.
Makhija, who also serves as chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Elections, addressed the general election during his opening comments of an Oct. 24 county commissioners meeting. His remarks were followed by a status report from interim Voter Services Director Frank Dean.
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Registered voters had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to request a mail-in or absentee ballot. Ballots must be returned by the time the polls close on Election Day, which is at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.
“[It’s] really important to emphasize for the 40 percent of people who still have their ballot outstanding … we’re in good shape,” Makhija said. “I think at this point in the primary we had probably 15 percent of people who returned their ballots and now we have 60 percent. So [we’re] confident people are going to return their ballots, but they should know we’re getting to the point where you should definitely use a drop box instead of the [U.S. Postal Service] if you want to ensure it gets here on time.”
There are 18 drop boxes situated throughout Montgomery County where voters can return their mail-in ballots. The drop boxes will be available to voters until 8 p.m. on Election Day when the polls close. Visit montcovotes.com for more information.
Makhija brought a moment of levity to the meeting, sharing that his 16-month-old son, Avi, will dress up as a drop box for Halloween.
“Please do not submit your ballot in his costume. It will not be counted,” Makhija said with a laugh, adding that “maybe I’ll be a sheriff to emphasize the security by which we pick up from our drop boxes.”
Makhija and Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Jamila Winder have long emphasized the importance of increasing voter outreach with initiatives to assist area residents, including a “voter van” which serves as a mobile voter services office.
The “voter van” has visited universities, government buildings, community events, and senior housing complexes over the past few weeks.
“I think showing this model and this pilot we want to make our service delivery as accessible as possible and as effective as possible … there are other counties around the commonwealth that are now interested in doing this, and it’s a great thing to be able to provide that service,” Makhija said.
In addition to preparations for the election’s mail-in ballot component, training has been taking place for the 2,800 poll workers who will be working 426 precincts throughout the county on Election Day. Makhija said he attended a recent session in the North Penn area.
“It’s inspiring to hear how many people, one, are new poll workers who are stepping up to participate in the process to help their fellow neighbors vote, no matter their party affiliation, just supporting the process, making sure everyone has their voice heard, and it’s also inspiring to see how many people have been part of the process for decades,” Makhija said.
“It’s inspiring to know that there are people who believe in the process, want to support everyone’s voting rights here in Montgomery County,” he said.
Winder too acknowledged the voter services staff members working throughout the election season and leading up to Election Day. While in One Montgomery Plaza in downtown Norristown, she recalled speaking with people riding in the elevator to the sixth floor to visit the voter services office.
“People are really pleased with the experience,” Winder said. “I … want to continue reiterat[ing] that we’ve got an amazing voter services team that [is] fighting the good fight to ensure that everyone that is eligible to vote can vote in Montgomery County.”
“Let’s be mindful of the teams that we have on the ground, in our satellite offices, as we think about the political rhetoric that is out there,” Winder said. “People, let’s make sure that we keep the temperature down so people can perform their jobs from here through Election Day.”
