YOUNGSTOWN - If you never received or misplaced a mail-in ballot you requested in Ohio or Pennsylvania, you still have an opportunity to cast a vote in-person.

Both Ohio and Pennsylvania allow voters to cast in-person provisional ballots on election day.

Provisional ballots are counted after election officials have counted all election day and absentee/mail-in ballots, so it can be assured that no voter casts two ballots.

In Pennsylvania, if a voter has not voted their absentee/mail-in ballot, they can take the original absentee/mail-in ballot and its outer envelope (the envelope with the “Voter declaration”) to their polling place on Election Day and surrender it to the Judge of Elections. 

The Judge will write “Spoiled” on the ballot and have the voter sign an affirmation stating that they have surrendered their ballot and would like to vote in person.  The voter can then be checked in using the poll book and vote a regular ballot.

In Ohio, if a voter submitted a valid application for an absentee ballot (either by mail or in-person), that voter must be flagged in the voter registration system and the poll book.

If that voter appears to vote on Election Day at their polling location, they must cast a provisional ballot, even if they did not receive or return their ballot.