Elections staff outline May 20 primary plans; drop‑boxes, mail‑in deadlines and possible Lehigh satellite discussed

Elections staff told the Election Integrity Committee on March 20 that Northampton County is finalizing preparations for the municipal primary on Tuesday, May 20, including voter registration and mail‑in deadlines, drop‑box locations and testing requirements.

The office briefed the committee on key dates: voters must be registered as Democrat or Republican to vote in the primary and may change party affiliation through May 5; the deadline to apply for a mail‑in or absentee ballot is May 13; and polls will be open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Officials said they mailed about 66,000 “permanent letters” in February to people who requested to receive mail‑in ballot applications for 2025 and have processed roughly 17,600 returned applications so far. The staff emphasized that the Department of State directive required envelopes to show “2024” printed on them and that the county will continue that practice for 2025 per the state requirement.

Drop boxes and polling places

The county expects to keep seven secured drop‑box locations for 2025, all under camera surveillance and transported daily by sheriff’s deputies. The seven locations cited by staff were: the Courthouse rotunda; the Human Services Building; the 9‑1‑1 Center; Bethlehem City Hall; East Allen Municipal Building; Washington Township Municipal Building; and the Fowler Center at Northampton Community College’s South Side campus. Staff said hours and placement details will be publicized when mail‑in ballots are sent.

Nearly all polling locations will remain the same for 2025, staff said, but the county is finalizing four precincts that will change locations and has a legal deadline of April 30 to make changes. The office cited specific relocations: Bethlehem 3 (the Banana Factory building) is being demolished and staff are working with Lehigh University to identify an alternate site near campus; Allen Township will return to a renovated firehouse after temporary relocation; and other precincts such as North Catasauqua are being evaluated for suitable ADA‑accessible sites.

On‑demand balloting and a Lehigh pilot

Staff described “on‑demand” balloting — filling out a mail‑in ballot in a satellite office and handing it in over the counter so it is processed by the county and counted on election day — and said a satellite office at Lehigh University is under consideration for November, not the May primary. The office said the pilot’s logistics remain under discussion (security, staffing and daily transport of ballots) and that the Secretary of State has signaled possible future changes to how on‑demand ballots are handled statewide.

Equipment, staffing and turnout planning

The office said it maintains a routine maintenance schedule with the voting‑machine vendor every two years and that it keeps spare machines and scanners based on turnout estimates. Staff reported reviewing municipal turnout history (2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023) to estimate needs for 2025. The office provided historical figures for context: in 2017 and 2019 turnout averaged about 14% in municipal elections; 2021 turnout was about 26% (roughly 17% in‑person, 9% mail‑in); 2023 turnout was about 24% overall (14% in‑person, 10% mail‑in); and the current registered‑voter roll for this primary is about 180,500.

Signature and envelope rules

Staff said current law requires a signature and a proper date on mail‑in ballot envelopes that falls within the mailing window through election day; if a date is outside that range or missing, the ballot is pulled and the voter is notified and may correct the envelope. The office said it segregates ballots pending court decisions so they can be counted or set aside depending on future rulings.

Public concerns and equity questions

Committee members and attendees raised concerns about placing a satellite on a college campus and whether that would give an advantage if the campus population leans one way politically. Staff and other committee members responded that a Lehigh satellite would serve campus residents and nearby voters and that any decision to add satellite sites or additional drop boxes would require logistical planning, staffing and, where applicable, commission or county funding approval.

The office asked constituents to submit specific requests if they want additional drop boxes; staff said the primary criteria for new drop‑box placement are continuous camera coverage, secure placement and public accessibility. Staff added that adding drop boxes beyond the current seven would be a question for the county commission because of equipment and ongoing costs.

Next steps

Staff said they will finalize candidate and ballot orders after the court concludes petition challenges (scheduled for the day after the meeting), begin proofing ballots once orders are final, and schedule machine testing. The office did not announce exact testing dates but said testing would follow ballot proofing and could begin within a week after the ballot is finalized.