HONESDALE, Pa. — The boxes of mail-in ballots are stacked high inside the Wayne county bureau of elections.
While most of the state is under a stay-at-home order, the thought of exercising your civic duty from the comfort of your living room is appealing to many.
"It has been very busy here, maybe not as busy as some other counties, but for only two people in the office, it's been busy. We do have additional help from other offices, which we totally appreciate, and we are mailing ballots daily," said Cindy Furman, Wayne County Bureau of Elections.
Even before the coronavirus hit, the state had relaxed the rules for mail-in ballots. Starting this year, anyone could apply for one without giving an excuse.
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Bureau of Elections director Cindy Furman was already preparing for an increase in applications but nowhere near as big as what she's seeing now. Furman says last year the Bureau of Elections didn't even get to 700 mail-in ballots. This year, it's already received more than 3,000 applications and counting.
"Our biggest election that we've ever had in the past was 2008, and we had almost 2,100, so we've already passed it by 900 ballots, and we anticipate probably easily another 1,000 before the election," said Furman.
"I just thought it would be prudent to mail it in instead of going in in person, just in case they shut everything down," said Honesdale resident Mary Baldwin.
But some people still prefer to cast their ballots in person.
"I don't trust it. It's got a lot to do with that Florida thing a few years back. If the polls are open, I'm going to walk in and do it," said Ken Cohen of Honesdale.
Since many poll workers have already opted out of working on Election Day, the county will have fewer polling locations on June 2. There will still be social distancing protocols in place.
Here are some dates to remember:
- You have to be registered to vote by May 18
- You have until May 26 to apply for a mail-in ballot.
- The mailed-in ballot has to be at your county election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, June 2.