Pennsylvania law generally requires voters to return their own ballot and prohibits people from returning other voters’ ballots to a drop box or county elections office on their behalf. But there are some exceptions.
If a Pennsylvania voter has a disability and needs assistance returning their ballot, they can designate someone to drop it off for them. The voter must use a “Designated Agent Form” and send it with the person handling it.
The form “must be completed by both the voter and the designee, and the designated agent must have the form with them when they pick up or return the voter’s ballot or other voting materials,” Geoff Morrow, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State, wrote in an email.
The law applies whether voters are returning a ballot to the post office, a drop box, or to a county election office, said Thad Hall, director of elections and voter registration in Mercer County.
In all, more than half of states have laws that explicitly allow a third party to return a completed ballot, according to a tally from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Many restrict this to a caregiver, family member or household member. A few states require designated agents to sign a document confirming they have the authority to deliver someone’s ballot.