PENNSYLVANIA

Election Information

Upcoming Elections

2008 Presidential Primary Election: 4/22/08

2008 General Election: 11/4/08

Voter Registration Information

The Lawyers’ Committee and its pro bono law firm partners have compiled comprehensive third-party voter registration guides for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These guides will help volunteers, organizers, and leaders navigate the complex rules that govern voter registration in each state.

Pennsylvania Voter Registration Guide

Registration Deadline

30 days before an election

Specific Deadlines:

2008 Presidential Primary Election: 3/24/08
2008 General Election: 10/6/08

Where to Obtain Registration Forms

Register Online Now
Download registration form
PennDOT
State offices that provide public assistance and services to persons with disabilities
Department of Transportation photo license centers
Armed Forces Recruitment Centers
County Clerk of Orphans’ Court offices, including each Marriage License Bureau
Area Agencies on Aging
Centers 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
ADA Complementary Paratransit offices

Absentee Voting

Absentee voting is allowed if the voter is:

A member of a religious or welfare group attached to and serving with the armed forces, and his/her spouse and dependents residing with or accompanying him or her, who expect on Election Day to be absent from the Commonwealth or the municipality of residence during the entire period in which the polling places are open for voting
An individual who, because of elector’s duties, occupation, or business expects to be absent during the entire period the polls are open for voting, and the spouse and dependents who are residing with or accompanying the elector
A qualified war veteran who is bedridden or hospitalized due to illness or physical disability regardless of whether the elector is registered to vote
A person who, because of illness or physical disability, is unable to attend his/her polling place or to operate a voting machine and obtain assistance by distinct and audible statements
A spouse or dependent accompanying a person employed by the Commonwealth or the Federal Government, in the event that the employee’s duties, occupation or business on Election Day require him/her to be absent
A county employee who expects that his Election Day duties relating to the conduct of the election will prevent the employee from voting
A person who will not attend a polling place on Election Day because of the observance of a religious holiday
A member of the Armed Forces or a spouse or dependent of a member of the Armed forces
A U.S. citizen living overseas who will be at least 18 years of age before the next general election and whose last residence prior to going overseas was in PA

Rules and Deadlines

Absentee ballots can be found with the County Board of Elections and, except for miltary electors and civilian electors who make an emergency application for absentee ballot, ballot applications must be completed, signed by the elector, and received by the county board of elections by 5 p.m. the last Tuesday before Election Day.
Ballots must be returned to the County Board of Elections.

Early Voting

Identification Requirements

At registration:

Current and valid photo identification or
A current utility bill,
Bank statement,
Government check,
Paycheck
Other government document that shows the name and address of the elector

At Polls, voter will be required to show ID:

If voting for the first time in PA,
If registered to vote by mail on or after January 1, 2003; and
If not previously met the identification requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act.

Acceptable forms of ID include:

Current and valid photo identification or
A current utility bill,
Bank statement,
Government check,
Paycheck
Other government document that shows the name and address of the elector

How to check registration

Contact your County Registrar of Voters

How to locate polling place

Check online

Information for felons

Cannot register to vote:

Individuals who are currently confined in a penal institution for conviction of a felony (even if they are also incarcerated for one or more misdemeanor offenses) and who will not be released from confinement before the next election.
Individuals in a halfway house or other alternative correctional facility on pre- release status for conviction of a felony and who will not be released before the date of the next election.
Individuals who have been convicted of violating any provision of the Pennsylvania Election Code within the last four years.

For more information, go to the Secretary of State’s website.

Read frequently asked questions about Ensuring a Valid Voter Registration in Pennsylvania.

Legislation

Pennsylvania H.R. 1318

Recent News

March 15, 2006: Today, at the urging of voting rights advocates, Governor Rendell vetoed H.B. 1318, an omnibus election bill. The original legislation was intended to expand voting rights for overseas military personnel, but opponents in the House quickly high-jacked the bill and added provisions to require photo identification and roll back voting rights for citizens with felony convictions. A subset of the Pennsylvania Voter Coalition, Protect Our Vote, worked for several months to defeat HB 1318, an omnibus election bill. A broad and diverse coalition of organizations, led by advocates for the homeless and ex-offenders and including the AARP, the ACLU, the League of Young Voters, Common Cause Pennsylvania, League of Women Voters, and the Committee of Seventy, quickly came together to discuss statewide strategies for defeating HB 1318. Although HB 1318 passed both houses with the identification provisions, Protect Our Vote was successful in swaying additional "no" votes from members of the House and Senate and ultimately secured a veto from Governor Rendell.

Read our letter to Governor Rendell here.
Read H.R. 1318 here.