The Butler County Bureau of Elections is looking to clarify important dates for mail in voters for the 2024 election.
Mail-in ballots in Butler County will not begin going out to voters until the week of September 30 and in-person early voting will not begin until October 15. Many outlets have reported that voting by mail will begin on September 16 but that date can be incorrect according to Butler County Director of Elections Chantell McCurdy.
“The September 16 date is actually in Election Code. The first dates we’re supposed to process absentee and mail-in applications. But after Act 77, we started processing applications months before that deadline. So that deadline doesn’t mean much to our office anymore,” McCurdy said.
There have been reports of voters receiving mail-in ballots already but McCurdy says these are applications to apply for a mail in ballot. These are often sent by political action committees.
“When you’re talking about an application. That can come from political action committees, third party organizations, or candidates. And they’re typically promoting one side or another,” McCurdy said.
McCurdy also did say that dates and timeline may be different depending on the county but surrounding counties she’s spoken with have similar timelines. One of the main reasons for the delays has been legal challenges at the county, state, and federal levels.
