Chester County sets testing timetable and confirms registration and ballot deadlines ahead of May primary

Chester County election officials on April 13 detailed schedules and deadlines voters should expect during the runup to the May primary.

Director Barsoom told the Board of Elections the county currently has 388,237 registered voters and 35,632 mail‑in ballot requests in the queue. “We have 388,237 voters registered,” Barsoom said.

Barsoom said drop boxes will open May 15 and that the county will operate 13 drop boxes in various locations with some evening and weekend hours; all boxes will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day. He urged voters to use yellow secrecy envelopes and complete declaration envelopes before return and explained the county has a curing process to notify voters of potential deficiencies.

The ballot services office will open April 28 at the Government Services Center (601 Westtown Road) to assist voters with ballot pickup and curing. Barsoom reiterated statutory deadlines: May 4 is the last day to register and May 12 is the last day to request civilian absentee or mail‑in ballots; he said those request deadlines are set by state election code and cannot be changed by the board.

Testing and counting schedules announced included logic and accuracy testing of voting machines at 8:30 a.m. Monday April 20 at the Government Services Center, central scanner testing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday April 23 at 313 West Market Street (5th Floor), a county central count beginning at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday May 19 at 313 West Market Street (5th Floor), and official computation beginning 9:00 a.m. Friday May 22 on the 5th Floor.

Barsoom also pointed callers and residents to chesco.org/elections for sample ballots, candidate lists and other voter resources.

In Q&A, the director explained pre‑testing of mail‑in ballots is performed and said L&A testing normally occurs after mailings; he recommended citizens contact legislators to change statutory deadlines if they wish earlier mail‑in request cutoffs.