Pielli and Davis introduce bill to extend mail-in ballot deadline
Legislation would give counties more time to collect and process mailed ballots
Rep. Chris Pielli March 23, 2026
HARRISBURG, March 23 – State Rep. Chris Pielli, D-Chester, and Tina Davis, D-Bucks, are introducing a bill to extend Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballot deadline. Current law states that mail-in ballots must be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Pielli said the current law, combined with the U.S. Postal Service’s new policy of applying postmarks at regional sorting facilities instead of local post offices, can result in legitimate and timely mail-in and absentee ballots missing the Election Day deadline.
To fix this issue, Pielli and Davis’ bill will extend the mail-in ballot deadline to seven days after the election, which aligns with the current deadline for military and overseas ballots.
“By aligning the deadline for all voters with the existing standard for military and overseas ballots, we create a simple, uniform window that guarantees every timely cast vote is actually counted,” Pielli said.
“Every voter who submits a ballot on time deserves to have it counted,” Davis said. “This legislation provides a clear, fair solution: counties would have seven additional days to accept mail-in and absentee ballots, aligning with the standard already in place for military and overseas voters. It ensures that every timely cast vote is counted and protects the integrity of our elections.”
The bill is currently awaiting assignment of a number and committee.