Pennsylvania

Land Acknowledgement

Pennsylvania does not have any federally recognized tribes, but it is the traditional homeland of many tribes.

Overview

You can register to vote online, by mail, or in person. The deadline to register to vote is October 24. Casting a ballot by mail is available to all registered voters.

Key Dates

October 24 - Deadline to register to vote

November 1 - Deadline to request an absentee ballot & Deadline to return mail-in or absentee ballot in person

November 8 - Election Day & return absentee ballot

Contacts

(877) VOTESPA (868-3772)

County Election Officials

Pennsylvania Voting Guide

Note: The information below is not legal advice on how to vote. Because voting information is changing rapidly during this election, make sure you check the links provided and check with your state about deadlines and voting specifics.

Registering to Vote

  • The deadline to register to vote is October 24.

  • No.

  • You must provide either your Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID card number. If you do not have either available, you can enter the last four digits of your Social Security Number. If you do not have a driver's license or a Social Security Number available, you can check "I do not have a Pennsylvania driver's license or a Social Security number" in Box 7. When you vote for the first time in your election district, you must show a form of identification. For a complete list of acceptable forms of photo and non-photo ID, visit this site or call your County Elections office - find their number here or call (877)-VOTESPA (868-3772).

  • You must provide your residence address. You may not use a P.O. Box. If you live in a rural area or are homeless and do not have a street address or a permanent residence, you can print a blank voter registration application and use the map on the printed form to draw where you live or spend most of your time, and mail it to your county voter registration office.

  • You can contact your County Election Official here to check if your address is valid.

  • You do not need a Pennsylvania ID to register. You can provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number if you do not have your PennDOT ID or Pennsylvania driver's license available. However, you can get a valid ID here.

  • Yes, you can register to vote online here.

  • No.

  • Yes. You can register to vote in person at you County Election office, which can be found here. You can also register to vote at PennDOT locations, state public assistance offices, Armed Forces recruitment centers, County Clerk of Orphans Court offices, including each Marriage License Bureau, Area Agencies on Aging, Center for Independent Living, County Mental Health and Mental Retardation offices, student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education, offices of Special Education, DA Complementary Paratransit offices, and at any agency that utilizes the Compass application.

  • Yes. You can register to vote by mail by filling out a Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application here and returning it to your County Election Official, which can be found on the application or online here.

  • You can register to vote and vote if you meet one of the following criteria: you are a pretrial detainee, confined in a penal institution awaiting trial on charges of a felony or a misdemeanor; you were convicted of a misdemeanor; or you got released or will get released by the date of the next election from a correctional facility or halfway house. Your release date must be upon completion of the term of incarceration for conviction of a misdemeanor or a felony; you are on probation or released on parole. Probation or released on parole includes parolees who are living in a halfway house; or you are under house arrest (home confinement). If you are under house arrest, you can vote no matter your conviction status or the status of the conditions of the confinement. Visit this site for more information on how to register to vote.

  • If you have specific questions for registering to vote, you can contact your County Election Official, who can be found here.

  • The voter registration deadline is October 24.

  • Yes, under federal law you can assist someone in registering to vote if they do not speak English well, if they have trouble reading or writing, or if they have a disability.

Checking & Updating Voter Registration

  • You can check your voter registration status here.

  • To check your voter registration, you can contact your County Election Official, who can be found here.

  • You can update your voter registration online, by mail, or in person using the voter registration application form and checking the correct box under #3 on the form. To update your voter registration or for more information on how to update your voter registration, visit this site.

  • Maybe. A county can cancel your voter registration if you confirm in writing that you have changed your residence address to a location outside the county in which you are registered. A county can also cancel your voter registration if you failed to respond to a notice by the county AND you have not voted or appeared to vote in the last two election cycles. The county must send you a notice before they cancel your voter registration. You can check your voter registration status here.

Voting by Mail/Absentee/Ballot Drop-Off

  • The deadline to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is November 1 by 5PM. Your voted ballot must be received by your County Election office by November 8 by 8PM. Postmarks are not enough. There are two options for mail ballots: mail-in ballots and absentee ballots. Any qualified voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. You may simply request this ballot without a reason. You can request an absentee ballot if you plan to be out of the municipality on Election day or if you have a disability or illness that prevents you from going to your polling place on Election Day. You are required to list a reason for your absentee ballot.

  • Yes. Please check that you have filled out all required fields and signed your ballot. USPS recommends you mail in your ballot a week before the deadline to ensure your ballot is received on time. However, please factor in your personal experience with mail delivery times to and from your place of residence or where you drop off your ballot.

  • You can request a mail-in ballot or absentee ballot onlineor download, fill out, and submit a paper mail-in application or download, fill out, and submit a paper absentee application. You must provide proof of ID when applying for a mail-in ballot or absentee ballot. You can find acceptable forms of ID here.

  • For mail-in ballots you do not need to provide a reason. Any qualified voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. You may simply request this ballot. However, you can request an absentee ballot if you are going to be absent from your municipality on Election Day or you have an illness or physical disability. If you have a permanent illness or a permanent disability you may be added to the annual absentee request list. Once your physician signs the certification of permanent disability and your request is approved, you will automatically receive ballots for the remainder of the year, and you will receive an application to renew your request for absentee ballots each year.

  • Yes.

  • The deadline to request a mail-in or an absentee ballot is November 1 by 5PM.

  • Ballots will be sent out no later than October 25.

  • You can have your ballot sent to your residence address or mailing address, if different. You must provide under the "Your address" section on the application the same address as listed on your voter registration.

  • Yes.

  • Your absentee ballot should be received by October 24. USPS recommends you mail in your absentee ballot one week prior to the state deadline, but you should mail in your ballot as soon as possible.

  • Yes. You can drop off your ballot before 8PM on Election Day to your County Election office, which can be found here or other officially designated sites, which can be found here.

  • If you have a disability that prevents you from applying in person for your mail ballot or delivering your mail ballot, you may designate an agent to deliver your ballot materials for you. You must designate the agent in writing using this form or a form provided by your county.

  • No. Ballots must be sent through USPS or dropped at a specified location.

  • No.

  • Your ballot will not be counted for the following reasons: your ballot is not enclosed and sealed in the inner secrecy envelope that indicates "official election ballot"; you do not complete the declaration on the return envelope. County election offices are required to promptly update a public tracking system if the ballot is rejected, so you can check to see the status of your ballot and submit a provisional ballot in person on Election Day if you are able. The ability for counties to verify mail-in or absentee ballots are currently being challenged in court. We will keep monitoring this issue and update as soon as we can.

  • Yes. You can track your absentee or mail-in ballot here. You will not be able to track your ballot if you voted in person.

  • You can contact your County Election Official, who can be found here.

Voting In-Person

  • You can find your polling place and hours here.

  • No.

  • Yes. You can vote in person by dropping off your mail-in or absentee ballot by 5PM on November 1.

  • You do not need to show ID to vote unless you are a first time voter or if you moved within Pennsylvania and are voting for the first time at a new polling place. Acceptable forms of ID include: Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID card; ID issued by Pennsylvania or the U.S. government; U.S. Passport; U.S. military ID; student ID; employee ID; confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration office; non-photo ID issued by Pennsylvania or the U.S. government; firearm permit; or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or a government check that includes your name and address. If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote on a provisional ballot.

  • You can get a non-driver Pennsylvania ID or a driver's license online here.

  • Yes. You may be asked to vote on a provisional ballot for the following reasons: your name was not in the poll book or supplemental poll book; you cannot show ID; your eligibility was challenged by an election official; you were issued but did not successfully vote an absentee ballot and you do not surrender your ballot at the polling place to be spoiled; you returned a completed absentee ballot that was rejected by the county board of elections and you believe you are eligible to vote; there is a special court order with respect to your registration status; or there is a special court order related to extending the hours of voting. You can find more information about provisional ballots here.

  • Yes. Under federal law (Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act), you are entitled to bring anyone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or neighbor, to the polling place AND into the polling booth to assist with voting. However, that person may not be your employer, running in the election, or a representative of your labor union. The person giving assistance also may not tell the voter how to vote.

  • You can contact your County Election Official, who can be found here.