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Delaware County cuts ballot drop boxes to 30; board weighs additional removals amid public concern
Summary
County election staff removed low‑use ballot drop boxes, reducing the network from 42 to 30; some board members pushed for further reductions while residents warned of equity and chain‑of‑custody concerns.
Delaware County election officials have removed a set of low‑use ballot drop boxes and plan to maintain a network of 30 drop boxes countywide, Director of Elections Michael Allen told the Board of Elections on March 4, 2025.
Allen said the board authorized staff at the January 14 meeting to contact municipalities where boxes were the lowest used across five or six past elections. Staff notified municipal leaders in Clifton Heights, Ridley Park, East Lansdowne, Rutledge, Marcus Hook, Millbourne and Colwyn and received no significant objections; three individual questions were raised. Warehouse and facilities staff removed the boxes and will in many cases remove the mounting poles, batteries, solar panels and communications equipment for repurposing.
“Those were the drop boxes that met two criteria: they were among the lowest in usage over multiple elections, and there were at least one, if not two, nearby locations,” Allen said.
Some public commenters urged either elimination of all drop boxes or raised concerns about the security and local printing of mail‑in ballots. Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby Township welcomed planned serial numbers and watermarks on new mail‑in ballots but raised concerns about the Commonwealth’s restrictions on releasing cast‑vote records and asked whether a Delaware County printer could do the job instead of an out‑of‑county vendor. Laura Lewis of Radnor Township and another commenter outlined broader worries about private contractors in the election chain.
Board member John McMeekin said he supported further reductions and asked staff to continue reviewing low‑use locations; Allen said the county had no current recommendation to remove three additional boxes (Eddystone, Darby Township and Parkside) but would proceed by board direction.
Staff said the remaining 30 drop boxes will geographically cover the county without clustering several boxes within short distances of each other, down from 42 when the current director took office. Officials said they will update the county website to reflect the changes and may repurpose cameras and communications equipment through other county offices.
