Chester County voters have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot for the Nov. 3 general election. More than 1 million applications have already been approved statewide, as MyChesCo reported, citing the Pennsylvania Department of State.

The deadline is firm. Applications received after 5 p.m. Oct. 27 will not be processed.

Voters who have not yet registered face an earlier cutoff: Monday, Oct. 19.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt urged voters to act well before the deadline. "Those who prefer to vote by mail should apply … to ensure they have time to receive, mark, and return their ballot by Election Day," Schmidt said Oct. 3.

Redesigned mail-in ballot envelopes and a yearlong educational campaign have cut ballot rejection rates from voter errors by nearly 60%. Schmidt shared the figure in a Sept. 23 recorded message to voters, as New Hope Free Press reported.

How to return your ballot

Completed mail ballots must reach Chester County Voter Services by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. A postmark by that time is not enough.

The county will open 13 secure ballot drop boxes starting Monday, Oct. 12. Three locations accept ballots around the clock: the Chester County Government Services Center at 601 Westtown Rd. in West Chester, the Chester County Library in Exton and the Henrietta Hankin Branch in Chester Springs. Ten other drop boxes are at libraries across the county, including sites in Downingtown, Kennett Square, Phoenixville, Coatesville, Oxford and Parkesburg. All 13 locations will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In-person option

Pennsylvania does not offer traditional early voting. But registered voters can visit their county elections office, apply for a mail ballot, fill it out and return it in a single trip. The state calls this on-demand mail ballot voting. It is available through close of business Oct. 27.

In Chester County, Director Michele DiCaprio's office is at 601 Westtown Rd., Suite 150, in West Chester (610-344-6410).

If something goes wrong

Chester County follows a notice-and-cure process, according to WHYY. Voters whose mail ballots have errors that would prevent counting are notified. They can visit the Government Services Center in West Chester to cancel the defective ballot and have a new one printed on site.

Voters who receive a mail ballot but decide to vote in person on Election Day can do so by bringing their mail ballot materials and surrendering them at the polls. Those who no longer have the materials may cast a provisional ballot.

Voters who miss the Oct. 27 application deadline and face an emergency preventing them from voting in person may apply for an emergency absentee ballot before 8 p.m. Nov. 3, according to Votebeat Pennsylvania.

Polls open Nov. 3 at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters in line by 8 p.m. may cast a ballot.