Lower Merion voters who make a fixable mistake on their mail-in ballot will now automatically receive a replacement instead of risking their vote going uncounted.
The Montgomery County Board of Elections approved the new automatic ballot curing policy on Wednesday, Aug. 19, in Norristown. It takes effect immediately for the Nov. 3 General Election.
Under the policy, the county will mail a replacement ballot to any voter whose mail-in ballot is rejected for a missing signature, a missing secrecy envelope (sometimes called a "naked ballot") or ballot damage. Voters flagged for identification verification issues will be notified separately so they can provide the required ID, but will not automatically get a replacement.
Why it matters locally
In 2024, Montgomery County recorded 1,186 deficient mail-in ballots countywide. Of those, 516 (nearly 44%) went uncounted because voters never resolved the problem. The county describes the typical errors as "simple mistakes or oversights."
No precinct-level breakdown is available, so the exact number of affected Lower Merion voters is unknown.
"Eligible voters should never be disenfranchised because of a correctable mistake on their ballot," Board of Elections Chair and Montgomery County Commissioner Neil K. Makhija said at the Wednesday, Aug. 19 meeting. He called the policy another step toward protecting voter rights and making the process work better for residents.
Vice Chair Jamila Winder, who also chairs the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, said many of the errors are ones "anyone could make" and that voters who miss a signature or forget a step should not be excluded from the democratic process.
State context
The policy follows a September 2025 Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that required counties to notify voters when their mail ballots face rejection for a disqualifying error, giving them the chance to cast a provisional ballot on Election Day. That 4-3 decision, in Center for Coalfield Justice v. Washington County Board of Elections, set a statewide floor, according to Spotlight PA's reporting.
Montgomery County's new policy goes further than the court mandate by automatically sending a physical replacement ballot rather than simply notifying voters of the problem.
In Pennsylvania, each of the 67 counties sets its own notification process. More than half already had some form of notice-and-cure procedure before the Supreme Court ruling.
What voters should do
Lower Merion residents who vote by mail can track their ballot status at pavoterservices.pa.gov. Questions go to Montgomery County Voter Services at 610-278-3280.
The Nov. 3 General Election is the first contest under the new policy.
