Ballots for Patients

About

Ballots for Patients is a nonpartisan program that enables registered voters to cast their ballots while hospitalized. With support from UPMC, Ballots for Patients volunteers help hospitalized voters access Emergency Absentee Ballots.

How It Works

Emergency Absentee Ballots allow registered voters who are experiencing emergencies (such as unexpected illness, disability, or last-minute absence from their municipalities) to vote—even if the deadline to submit non-emergency Absentee Ballots has already passed.

This year, Ballots for Patients will be serving Allegheny County residents who are hospitalized in a UPMC Hospital in Allegheny County. Our volunteers will serve as Authorized Representatives to hospitalized voters on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Volunteers serving as Authorized Representatives will:

  • Pick up completed Applications for Emergency Absentee Ballots from their assigned hospital and deliver them to the County Elections Office;
  • Collect Emergency Absentee Ballots from the County Elections Office and deliver them to their assigned hospital; and
  • Pick up completed Emergency Absentee Ballots from their assigned hospital and deliver them to the County Elections Office.

Get Involved

If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out our volunteer survey!

We will need approximately 10 volunteers to serve as Authorized Representatives on both Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3, 2026. There may be other volunteer opportunities for people who can help with preparation or distribution of paper materials leading up to Election Day. Volunteer roles and hospitals will be assigned based on availability, transportation, and preference (when possible), so make sure you complete the volunteer survey.

If you have any further questions, please email BallotsForPatients@gmail.com.

To make a donation to Ballots for Patients, please go to our donations page and be sure to write “Ballots for Patients” in the “payment” text box so we can direct money to the appropriate fund.

History

Ballots for Patients was a volunteer-led initiative, first organized in 2008 by Paul O’Hanlon. After many years of collaboration, and the loss of Paul O’Hanlon in 2025, Access Mob Pittsburgh has assumed responsibility for organizing Ballots for Patients. For more information about Paul O’Hanlon’s legacy and to leave a tribute for others to read, please visit the Pittsburghers for Public Transit website.