This week, Lehigh County officials announced that a clerical error led to an incorrectly generated batch of mail-in ballots for the May Primary Election. While the majority of mail-in ballots have not been affected, more than 4,000 county voters will have to redo their ballots.
The county’s initial batch of mail-in ballots was reportedly generated based on last year’s active mail-in voter file. Four categories of voters have been impacted:
- Category 1: Voters who changed their party registration in the past year.
- Category 2: Voters who moved and did not receive a ballot at their updated address.
- Category 3: Ballots issued to voters who requested a mail ballot in 2025 but have since passed away.
- Category 4: Ballots issued to voters who requested a mail ballot in 2025 but did not request one for 2026.
Lehigh County is now hurrying to reach these voters and inform them of their options for voting in next week’s election. Incorrect ballots have been cancelled and voters have been mailed corrected ballots.
County Executive Josh Siegel called the error “honest and undeniably human.” He emphasized that every eligible resident will be given the chance to cast their vote.
Chief Clerk of Elections Michael Paston promised regular updates leading up to Election Day. Once the election has passed, a full audit will be conducted to determine where the error occurred and how it can be prevented in the future.
Lehigh County’s voter hotline is open from 7 AM to 9 PM daily through Election Day at 610-782-3194. Those who believe they may have been affected by the error but have not been contacted are encouraged to call as soon as possible.
