POTTSVILLE, Pa. — Since the age of 18, Suzanne Castro from Zion Grove has voted in 12 elections, and with her mail-in ballot in hand, she walked into the Schuylkill County Election Bureau in Pottsville and cast her vote in a way she's never done before.
"I want to make sure I see the person I hand this to. I want to have it sealed in my memory. This is important," said Castro.
Castro says she would have put her ballot in the mail or a drop box but felt the need to go inside and hand in her vote.
Other counties, like Lackawanna, have drop boxes to put your ballot in, but Schuylkill County does not.
For other residents in the county, they say they have mixed emotions on whether there should be a drop box for ballots located outside the Schuylkill County Government Building.
"I don't care one way or the other whether they have a drop box. I can understand in the situation where you're only supposed to bring in your ballot, it's a better way for them to make sure that people are only casting one ballot at a time," said Denise Donmoyer from Pine Grove.
"It doesn't make sense. Have a box here; everybody can go, put it in, and stay your distance and go. You don't need to see open doors and see more people. I don't want to see any more people if I don't have to," said Annette Woll from Auburn.
The director of elections tells Newswatch 16 that the reason for no ballot drop box is that they want each voter to drop off their ballot.
The decision is being re-evaluated daily to see if there is a need for one.
October 27 is the deadline to request an absentee or mail-in ballot.
All mail-in and absentee ballots need to be postmarked or returned to your county election office by 8 p.m. on November 3.