Changes made to Pennsylvania’s provisional ballot envelopes

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced that the Department of State has redesigned Pennsylvania’s provisional ballot envelopes to improve legibility and increase user-friendliness.

“Every registered voter in our Commonwealth should have the opportunity to cast their vote and make their voice heard in each election,” Schmidt said during a press conference in Philadelphia. “We believe these changes to the provisional ballot envelopes will have a positive impact, just as the changes we made to mail ballot materials two years ago did.”

In 2023, the Shapiro Administration redesigned Pennsylvania mail ballots and materials, which contributed to a 57% decrease in mail ballot rejections during the 2024 general election. 29.12% of provisional ballots were rejected, with the most common reason being that the voter was not registered, and the second being an incomplete ballot envelope.

Schmidt says it received feedback from county elections officials across Pennsylvania who mentioned the need for enhanced usability for voters and poll workers. In response, the Department featured a new layout that clearly instructs voters which fields they must fill out, including highlighting the two places where the envelope must be signed.

The new envelopes also streamline the process for election workers, identifying which fields they need to complete before and after the voter completes their provisional ballot.

“The redesign of the ballot envelope simplifies the process of voting provisionally, and that means fewer errors and fewer rejected ballots,” said Omar Sabir, Chairman of the Philadelphia City Commissioners. “It’s an important part of ensuring that every eligible vote gets counted, and we’re proud to lead this multi-county effort alongside our partners at the Department of State.”

Schmidt said he expects counties to use the new materials in the 2025 general election. The Department is offering grant money to counties that choose to use the new envelopes to help counties with the cost of replacing their current provisional ballot envelopes.

For more information on voting in Pennsylvania, including mail and provisional ballots, call the Department of State’s year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA or visit their website.