BETHLEHEM PRESS POLICY: As we approach the Nov. 3 general election, the Bethlehem Press, in the interest of fairness, will halt publication of columns by local government officials and letters to the editor submitted by those running for office.

The last week for publication of columns by local government officials running for office was the Oct. 8 edition.

We will, of course, continue to cover the local races, in news stories generated by our own reporters.

Letters to the Editor, written by members of the community or the candidate, need to be received by The Press no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 16.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY UPDATE: As of Oct. 6, the Northampton County Elections Office has approved 66,461 mail-in ballot applications for the general election on Nov. 3. Elections Office staff have mailed 63,979 ballots out to applicants and have already received 8,782 ballots back.

The elections office reminds voters to follow the instructions included with their ballot. The voter must sign and date the back of the return envelope before sending it in. “Naked” ballots-those which have not been enclosed in the inner secrecy envelope-will not be counted. Mail-in ballots may also be declared void if the ballot or secrecy envelope includes any text, marks or symbols “which reveals the identity of the elector, the elector’s political affiliation or the elector’s candidate preference.”

The return envelopes for mail-in ballots include postage. Voters do not need to add a stamp. Ballots may also be dropped off at the elections office at 669 Washington Street Easton, PA 18042 or deposited in one of the county’s four secure ballot drop-off boxes.

Rotunda of the Government Center – 669 Washington St., Easton, 18042

• Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. – noon

• Human Services Building – 2801 Emrick Blvd. Bethlehem, 18020

• Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

• Northampton County 911 Center – 100 Gracedale Ave. Nazareth, 18064

• Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Bethlehem City Hall – 10 E. Church Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018

• Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Voters have until Oct. 19 to register to vote in the general election. An application to register to vote must be received by Oct. 27. Voters who have applied for a mail-in ballot but have decided they would prefer to vote at the polls must bring both their ballot and the return envelope with them. The Judge of Elections will spoil the ballot and allow them to cast their vote on the machine.

Voters may send an application for a mail-in ballot to the Elections Office (https://www.northamptoncounty.org/CTYADMN/ELECTNS/Documents/Mail%20In%20Ballot%20Application.pdf) or apply on-line at: https://www.votespa.com.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY DROP BOXES: The Northampton County Elections Office has begun sending out mail-in ballots to voters who applied for them. Ballots may be returned via U.S. Mail, or by placing them in any of the four different drop-off boxes located around Northampton County. The drop-off box in the city of Bethlehem will be located at city hall, 10 East Church St. and ballots can be dropped off Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m..

(SPANISH) La Oficina Electoral del Condado de Northampton ha comenzado a enviar papeletas de votación por correo a los votantes que las solicitaron. Las papeletas pueden devolverse por correo de EE.UU., o colocándolo en cualquiera de los cuatro buzones ubicados alrededor del condado de Northampton. El buzón de entrega en la Ciudad de Bethlehem estará ubicado en 10 East Church St. Su papeleta de votación puede ser dejada a partir del 1 de Octubre, de Lunes a Viernes, de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m.

VOTERS’ GUIDE: The Voters Guide to the 2020 Pennsylvania general election for Lehigh and Northampton counties was printed by The Morning Call on Oct. 1. Subscribers to the daily edition received their copies that day. The online version of the Voters Guide is available on the Morning Call website and on the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County website.

The publication was the result of a long-time partnership between the League of Women Voters of both counties and The Morning Call newspaper to make a non-partisan Voters Guide available twice yearly to the voting public. The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund compiled the material found in the guide. Volunteers from both local Leagues forwarded the relevant material to the newspaper.

The Morning Call gave both local leagues hundreds of extra copies to distribute around their respective counties to the benefit of the voting public. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County delivered them to many locations in that county, including the voter registration office.