Several Local and State Elections Set for Nov. 6

Many APWU members who plan to be in attendance at the APWU All-Craft Conference in Las Vegas Nov. 5-8 should also make plans to vote ahead of time in elections taking place back home.

Several statewide and local elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 6. Conference participants are urged to make arrangements — and soon — to vote by absentee ballot or, if permissible to vote early.

While there may be others, we are aware of statewide elections on Nov. 6 in Kentucky, Virginia, and Mississippi, and local contests in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Houston. APWU members from those areas should be sure to vote before leaving for Las Vegas.

Kentucky

There is an election for governor and other down-ticket offices on Nov. 6.

Absentee ballots can be obtained through the county clerk’s office. You may request an application through your county clerk’s office in person, by phone, by mail, or by fax. Spouses, parents, and children of voters may make the request for an application for a mail-in absentee ballot.

The deadline for applying for a mail-in absentee ballot in Kentucky is Oct. 30 (seven days before the election). The completed application also must be received by the county clerk by Oct. 30, whether in person or through the mail.

For the ballot to be counted, it must be received in the county clerk’s office by 6 p.m. on Election Day.

A list of Kentucky’s county clerks and their contact information can be found here.

Virginia

In Virginia, elections will be held on Nov. 6 for seats in both the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates. County and local elections are taking place in several jurisdictions. For more information on the elections this year, visit the Virginia State Board of Elections Web site.

Anyone who will be absent from the county or city in which they are entitled to vote is eligible to vote by absentee ballot.

Absentee-ballot applications are available through the Virginia Voter Registration Offices. The completed application can be returned to the local voter registration office by mail or by fax. The absentee-ballot application must be received by the local voter registration office by Oct. 30 in order for the voter to receive a ballot by mail.

Voters also can download the Virginia Absentee Ballot Application. Print the form (a PDF file), follow the instructions, sign it, and mail or fax the completed application to the Local Voter Registration Office so that it can be received by Oct. 30. 

Mississippi

Mississippi will elect a new governor and other constitutional, county, and local officials on Nov. 6.

Registered voters may be eligible to vote absentee for reasons of advanced age, health or work demands, or because of an affiliation with the U.S. armed forces. Others who will be outside of their voter-area jurisdiction on Election Day may also be entitled to vote by absentee ballot. Voters much check with their municipal or circuit clerk to determine whether they are entitled to vote absentee — and to learn the procedures for doing so.

The Mississippi Secretary of State recommends that would-be absentee voters contact their clerks by Oct. 23, which is two weeks before the election.

Pennsylvania

On Nov. 6, elections will be held for the mayor of Philadelphia and for all 17 of the city’s council positions. In both Montgomery and Bucks counties, all three county commissioner seats are up for election. In Delaware County, there will be elections for three of the five county council-member positions. 

Except when an absentee voter has a disability, absentee ballots must be delivered to the county Board of Elections either in person or through the U.S. Mail.

Absentee-ballot applications can be obtained through a county’s election office, or by clicking here. The completed application should be forwarded to the appropriate county election office.

Except for those making emergency applications for absentee ballots, the application must be completed, signed by the voter, and received by the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 30.

California

Registered voters can apply by mail for an absentee ballot for the Nov. 6 election at any time, but not after Oct. 30. The applications must be submitted to the county elections officials by that same date.

The application to vote by absentee ballot is available as a PDF. Download the application by clicking here. (Information can be typed directly onto the online application). Voters must print, sign, and date the form, and mail it to their county elections office. The completed ballot should not be mailed before Oct. 8 and must be received by Oct. 30. 

Texas

Houston will hold elections for mayor, city controller, and city council on Nov. 6. 

There are two ways to vote early in Texas, by mail or in person.

Any registered voter may vote early in person between Oct. 22 and Nov. 2. A local election administrator or county clerk can provide a list of early-voting sites, which are located within a voter’s political subdivision. Early voting in person generally starts 17 days before each election and ends four days before each election. 

Texas voters may submit their ballots by mail if they are going to be away on Election Day and during the early-voting period, sick or disabled, 65 years of age or older (as of Nov. 6), or confined in jail.

Applications for a ballot by mail are available starting on Sept. 5 and must be received by the early-voting clerk by Oct. 30. Early-voting ballots sent by mail must arrive before the time the polls are required to close on Election Day. 

For Further Information

All-Craft Conference attendees who need absentee-balloting assistance or have further questions should contact the APWU Legislative Department at 202-842-4210.