Centre County residents can apply for and complete a ballot for the upcoming election without traveling to their usual polling place, thanks to the county’s mobile voting van.
The van visits locations around the county, like senior centers, high schools, and downtown areas.
Tina Konrath, a temporary worker with the Centre County elections office, helps coordinate the van’s stops.
She said the program was inspired by a similar initiative in Montgomery County and a need to make voting more accessible for people who might have difficulty reaching polling locations or ballot drop boxes.
The van was donated by Penn State and converted by Centre County into a mobile satellite election office. They renovated the interior and added wifi, a table, laptops and a printer. At stops, outside the van they set up a portable voting booth, which includes a low table area for wheelchair users.
At the van, registered voters in Centre County can fill out a mail-in ballot application on the spot. Elections staff then get the application approved and print the voter a ballot for their precinct.
Voters can then complete and return their ballots directly to the van’s ballot box. The entire process typically takes about 15 to 20 minutes, Konrath said.
“This election cycle has been the most successful, by far, where we've been receiving ballots at every place we've been, which hasn't been typical,” Konrath said.
Centre County’s voting van has a few stops remaining before Election Day.
- Friday, Oct. 23: Phillipsburg Senior Center, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Bizarre Bazaar at Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: Penn State University Park campus, near the Forum and Visual Arts buildings, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to processing mail-in ballot applications, staff can check voter registration status, confirm polling locations and accept completed ballots to the secure drop box.
Konrath said she hopes the van can become a reliable alternative for voters.
“We're not affiliated with any specific party. It's not like we care how you vote. We just want you to be able to vote if you would like to,” Konrath said.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.