Because the GOP loons here don't want it and have refused to pass legislation to offer it.
Until 2022, the GOP controlled the entire state Assembly (both chambers) and I know for years, I have asked my (D) State Senator about "early voting" whenever he had telephone townhall calls and he would pretty much throw up his hands.
This is why it was a miracle that we got "no-excuse absentee ballot" voting (mail voting), seemingly out of nowhere near the end of 2019. But that was only done because the GOP wanted to get rid of the "straight party ticket option" for voting (where selecting that option on a machine or ballot would allow a voter to vote for all the candidates from one party for all offices on a general election ballot). They figured that the (D) governor would sign what would become Act-77, with the "no-excuse absentee" option on there in exchange for getting rid of the straight party option.
Act-77 passed almost unanimously in both chambers with only a single (D) and a single (R) voting against it.
But now that mail voting proved to actually HELP increase the ability to vote, the GOP has been trying feverishly - either through attempting to pass repeal bills or through the courts - to get rid of mail voting - EVEN THOUGH most of their loon base lives in rural areas that benefit the most from mail voting.
After the 2022 election, Democrats took control (barely) of the State House, but we still have the blockages from the loons in the state Senate.
I have an 82-year-old aunt who does it by mail. I asked her how does she know her vote was received she said she doesn't.
She doesn't use the internet at all.
The state of PA sends out a notification when the ballot is ready for mailing and when it was received and processed. They also have a tracking page where someone can track their ballot status -
https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/BallotTracking.aspx
What YOU can do for her is periodically check that link (fill out the info in the form) to get the status update for her.
Is it sent first class or special or how?
The return envelopes are no-postage needed first class and the USPS prioritizes ALL election-related ballots for processing.
Apparently, it has to be postmarked by the 29th. And now their Supreme Court says one thing in a lower court is saying another thing. They need to get there shit cleared up because this is a must-win state for us.
You have been continually putting out a lot of unecessary misinformation.
Mail ballots need to be received AT the County's election office (which is already pre-printed on the return envelope) or at a site designated by the County (could be a drop box, election office, or even a polling place)
BY 8 pm ON ELECTION DAY NOVEMBER 5, 2024.
As noted, many Counties have drop boxes and/or have designated locations where the ballot can be dropped off "sooner" where that location
is monitored, either by a person and/or by a camera.
And the state Supreme Court is the HIGHEST Court here, like it is in most states that use that term (NY state calls their highest court something else). So what the state Supreme Court says is the final disposition/ruling.
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