Secure postal ballot envelope arrived sealed, Philadelphia voters report

Absentee ballots began being sent to Philadelphia voters last week. However, in some cases, the return envelopes and secrecy envelopes provided to voters were already sealed when the ballots arrived at voters’ homes, according to multiple voters who reported the issue to The Inquirer.

The issue is frustrating Philadelphia voters who could play a key role in determining the winner of the White House in November.

But those voters can still vote by mail by requesting a fresh envelope or by cutting open the sealed envelopes and taped them shut before returning them, said City Commissioner Seth Bluestein, a Republican on the three-member panel overseeing the city’s elections.

In the post on X, The Pennsylvania Department of State said moisture across the state caused envelopes to seal prematurely and urged voters to contact their local election offices if they encounter problems.

It’s unclear how many envelopes have been sealed, but about 10,000 absentee ballots have already been returned, indicating it wasn’t a widespread problem for Philadelphia voters, Bluestein said.

“There is absolutely no reason to believe that anyone tampered with any of the envelopes,” Bluestein said, noting that Philadelphia’s absentee voting system is secure. He said the city encountered a similar problem during the April primary election, but it affected fewer voters because it was a low-turnout election.

For the general election, Philadelphia has sent or is in the process of sending more than 150,000 absentee ballots, Bluestein said. The first set of these ballots were mailed on September 24 and 25.

“We have plenty of time until Election Day to address any such concerns and provide voters with the opportunity to ensure that their ballot is cast before Election Day,” Bluestein said.

The state deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 29 at 5 p.m. To be counted, ballots must be returned to district election offices by 8 p.m. on November 5.

What should I do if my envelope is sealed?

When voters request an absentee ballot, they receive an envelope containing the ballot, a return envelope and a secrecy envelope. These envelopes should be delivered unsealed so that voters can insert their ballot into them before returning them. Under state law, for a vote to be counted, a voter must place the ballot in a secrecy envelope.

If one or both envelopes arrive sealed, the voter has two options: request a fresh envelope or cut it open and tape it shut before returning the ballot, Bluestein said. If voters choose to tape the envelopes, their votes will still be counted, he said.

The city authorities provided instructions on how to submit applications fresh ballot in post on X. Voters can request replacement materials by calling the Philadelphia City Commissioners Office at 215-686-8683, submitting an application for a fresh voting card online, or visiting one of the seven satellite election offices open in the city; locations are listed at https://vote.phila.gov/about-us/satellite-election-offices/.

City Commissioner Omar Sabir, a Democrat who chairs the panel, said the situation highlighted the importance of satellite offices. The city plans to open 10 before the elections. Voters can request, receive and vote absentee ballots in one visit to satellite offices.

“These satellite offices are definitely a game changer and they make it so easy,” Sabir said.