Election administration in Pennsylvania

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Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Pennsylvania:

Poll times[edit]

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Pennsylvania, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.^[2]

Voter registration[edit]

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Pennsylvania, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next election, a resident of the district in which he or she is registering for at least 30 days before the next election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.^[3] The deadline for registering to vote is 15 days before the election.^[3] Registration can be done online, in person, or by mail. Prospective voters can register in person at the county voter registration office or at a number of state agencies, including Pennsylvania Department of Transportation centers. The Pennsylvania voter registration application is available online and can be mailed to the county voter registration office.^[4] On September 19, 2023, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced that the state had implemented automatic voter registration.^[5]

Automatic registration[edit]

Pennsylvania practices automatic voter registration.^[6]

Online registration[edit]

See also: Online voter registration

Pennsylvania implemented an online voter registration system in 2015.^[7] Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration[edit]

Pennsylvania does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements[edit]

Prospective voters must be residents of the district in which they are registering for at least 30 days before the next election.

Verification of citizenship[edit]

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Pennsylvania does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

Verifying your registration[edit]

The Pennsylvania Department of State allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy[edit]

Early voting[edit]

See also: Early voting

Pennsylvania voters can cast mail ballots in person. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State's Office of Communications and Press, "Once a county’s ballots are finalized and printed, a registered voter can apply for their mail ballot in person at their county election office, complete it, then submit it all in one visit. Voters should check their county's website to see when they have final ballots available and what hours their election office is open."^[8] For more information, visit this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

Beginning with the April 28, 2020, primary election, all Pennsylvania voters are eligible to cast absentee ballots. The change came about as a result of SB421, an omnibus election law bill which Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) signed into law on October 31, 2019.^[9][10]

Returning absentee/mail-in ballots[edit]

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Voters must return their absentee/mail-in ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots must be received by this deadline. Ballots may be returned by mail or in person. Rather than returning a ballot in person, a voter may issue written authorization for another person, including, if no other person is available, a deputy sheriff, to return the ballot on their behalf.^[11]

Signature requirements and cure provisions[edit]

Absentee/mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania include a set of return envelopes printed with a declaration that must be signed by the voter in order for the ballot to be counted. Pennsylvania law does not include a cure provision, or a procedure allowing voters to correct an issue with the signature on their absentee/mail-in ballot.^[11][12] According to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, "Under Pennsylvania law, counties are not required to allow voters to address errors on envelopes that have been returned to their county, but they are permitted to do so."^[13]

Was your absentee/mail-in ballot counted?[edit]

Pennsylvania voters can use the absentee/mail-in ballot tracking tool provided by the Pennsylvania Department of State to check the status of their ballot.

Voter identification requirements[edit]

See also: Voter ID in Pennsylvania

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Pennsylvania does not generally require voters to present identification while voting. However, a voter who is voting at a polling place for the first time must present identification.^[14]

Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of October 2024. Click here to ensure you have current information.

“

Approved forms of photo identification include: Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card ID issued by any Commonwealth agency ID issued by the U.S. Government U.S. passport U.S. Armed Forces ID Student ID Employee ID If you do not have a photo ID, you can use a non-photo identification that includes your name and address. Confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration Office Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government Firearm permit Current utility bill Current bank statement Current paycheck Government check[15]

”

As of April 2024, 35 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 24 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional ballot rules[edit]

Voters in Pennsylvania are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances:^[16]

“

Your name was not in the poll book or supplemental poll book. For example, you reported to the wrong precinct; or You did not report a recent change in residence to the county election office. You are required to show ID, but cannot show ID. Your eligibility was challenged by an election official. You were issued but did not successfully vote an absentee or mail‐in ballot and you do not surrender your ballot at the polling place to be spoiled. You returned a completed absentee or mail‐in 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. There is a special court order related to extending the hours of voting. You believe that you are registered in a political party, but your voter record indicates otherwise (for primary elections only).[15]

”

Pennsylvania's provisional ballot procedures state: "If the board of elections determines that the elector has knowingly voted in an improper election district, the board of elections may declare the ballot to be invalid. However, absent a determination of willfulness by the elector, the board should dispose of the provisional ballot as a ballot cast in the proper county but at an improper election district and count the ballot as to those offices for which, and questions on which, the elector was qualified to vote."^[17]

Was your provisional ballot counted?[edit]

Visit the Pennsylvania Department of State's Provisional Ballot Search tool to check the status of your provisional ballot. You can also call 1-877-VOTESPA to check the status of your ballot.

Local election officials[edit]

Primary election type[edit]

See also: Primary elections in Pennsylvania

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Pennsylvania utilizes a closed primary process. Voters are required to register with a political party to vote in the primary election.^[18][19]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting[edit]

Ballotpedia did not find a law specifying whether voters must be given time off from work to vote in this state. Nolo.com notes that states without such state laws may have administrative regulations or local ordinances pertaining to time off for voting and suggests calling your local board of elections or state labor department for more information.^[20]

If you know of a relevant policy in this state, please email us. Find contact information for your county elections board here.

As of September 2024, 28 states required employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies varied as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In Pennsylvania, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights upon completion of their incarceration, with the exception of violations of the Pennsylvania Election Code, which bar people from voting for four years after conviction for the offense.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.^[21]

Voter list maintenance[edit]

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).^[22] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.^[23]

When names can be removed from the voter list[edit]

Pennsylvania law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:

• requests in writing to be removed from the list
• dies
• confirms in writing that they moved outside of their voting jurisdiction
• remains on the inactive voter list through two consecutive general elections.

Inactive voter list rules[edit]

If election officials, using National Change of Address data and other address verification resources, determine that a voter may have moved outside of their voting jurisdiction, or if that voter has not voted "during the period beginning five years before the date of the notice and ending on the date of the notice," they are to send the voter a forwardable confirmation notice. If the voter does not respond within 30 days, they are to be listed as inactive. In addition, elections officials are required to contact all registered active voters who have not voted in the previous five years with a notice. If the voter fails to respond, they are to be listed as inactive. If a voter remains in inactive status by not responding to a confirmation notice, voting, or updating their registration status, their registration is to be canceled.^[24]

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)[edit]

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."^[25]

By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of May 2024, 24 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.^[26]

As of August 2023, Pennsylvania was participating in the ERIC program.

Post-election auditing[edit]

Pennsylvania state law requires post-election audits. Officials from the county board of elections recount a random sample "of the lesser of 2% of votes cast in each county, or 2,000 ballots." The audit is conducted as part of the canvass.

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.^[27][28]

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

As of October 2024, 49 states and the District of Columbia had some form of post-election audit by law. Of these, 35 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, while six states required risk-limiting post-election audits by law. Eight states used some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.^[29][30]

Noteworthy events[edit]

U.S. Supreme Court rejects RNC's application to stay state supreme court order allowing provisional voting by voters whose "naked" absentee ballots were rejected (2024)[edit]

On November 1, 2024, the United States Supreme Court unanimously denied a request made by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Pennsylvania Republican Party to stay an October 23, 2024, decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that allowed voters to vote a provisional ballot if their absentee ballot was rejected because it was submitted without an inner secrecy envelope.^[31] The decision meant that Pennsylvania voters whose "naked" absentee ballots, or ballots submitted without the inner secrecy envelope, are rejected would be allowed to vote a provisional ballot in the 2024 general election. In the order denying the application for a stay, Justice Samuel Alito wrote, "Staying [the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's] judgment would not impose any binding obligation on any of the Pennsylvania officials who are responsible for the conduct of this year’s election. And because the only state election officials who are parties in this case are the members of the board of elections in one small county, we cannot order other election boards to sequester affected ballots. For these reasons, I agree with the order denying the application."^[32]Justices Gorsuch and Thomas joined Alito's statement rejecting the application.^[31]

The case originated in state court in April 2024 as Genser v. Butler County Board of Elections challenging the decision of Butler County Board of Elections to reject the provisional ballots of two voter's whose original absentee ballots were rejected in the state's primary election because they were not submitted with the inner secrecy envelope required by state law. The original case was dismissed on August 16 by the Court of Common Pleas of Butler County, meaning that such voters would not be able to cast a provisional ballot. The case was appealed to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, who overturned the lower court's decision on September 5. It ultimately reached the state's supreme court, who upheld the decision of the Commonwealth Court in a 4-3 ruling issued on October 23.^[33]

In the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's majority opinion, Justice Donohue (D), joined by Justices Dougherty (D), Todd (D), and McCaffery (D), wrote, "Following the commands of the Election Code as interpreted by this Court, the Board properly disregarded Electors’ mail-in ballots as void. However, it erred in refusing to count Electors’ provisional ballots. Subsection (a.4)(5)(i) [of the Pennsylvania election code] required that, absent any other disqualifying irregularities, the provisional ballots were to be counted if there were no other ballots attributable to the Electors. There were none."^[34] In a dissenting opinion, Justice Mundy (R) wrote, "In my view, the Majority’s decision to direct the counting of provisional ballots in cases where the electors’ mail-in ballots have been timely received, in direct contravention of Section 3050(a.4)(5)(ii)(F), is an unconstitutional intrusion upon the role reserved to state legislatures by the Federal Constitution."^[35] At the time of the decision, Democrats held a 5-2 majority on the state supreme court. Justice Wecht (D) was the only Democrat to dissent.

According to Democracy Docket, which describes itself as a "source of news that delivers detailed analysis and expert commentary on voting rights and election litigation and policy," the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision "brought Butler County in line with the longstanding practice of most other Pennsylvania counties that already accept provisional ballots from voters whose mail-in ballots are invalidated."^[36]

Court vacates lower court decision on undated and wrong dated mail ballots (2024)[edit]

On September 13, 2024, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated a lower court decision in a 4-3 decision, and reinstated a law prohibiting election officials from counting mis-dated or undated absentee/mail-in ballots.^[37] The court previously ruled on the issue in 2023, but in May 2024, a group of nonprofit advocacy organizations challenged the underlying law that required voters to date their absentee/mail-in ballots.^[38]

The case eventually reached the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. On August 30 the court found that rejecting ballots with incorrect dates, but that are otherwise valid and returned on time, violated the state's Free and Equal Elections Cause, and blocked enforcement of the law.^[39] The majority's opinion said: "The refusal to count undated or incorrectly dated but timely mail ballots submitted by otherwise eligible voters because of meaningless and inconsequential paperwork errors violates the fundamental right to vote recognized in the free and equal elections clause."^[40]

The Republican National Committee and Pennsylvania Republican Party appealed the ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on September 4, and the court delivered a per curiam order vacating the lower court's decision on September 13. The order said that the lower court "lacked subject matter jurisdiction to review the matter given the failure to name the county boards of elections of all 67 counties" in the state.^[41] Two Democratic judges joined two Republican judges in the majority. The three dissenting justices were Democrats. In a dissenting statement joined by the other justices, Justice Wecht said that the court should have taken up the case to resolve the constitutional issue, and said a, "definitive ruling on the constitutional question presented in this appeal is of paramount public importance inasmuch as it will affect the counting of ballots in the upcoming general election."^[42]

Court rules on undated and wrong dated mail ballots (2022-2023)[edit]

On February 8, 2023, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a ruling that said that undated or mis-dated absentee/mail-in ballots should not be counted under state law. Justice David N. Wecht wrote the majority opinion, which said the dating requirement spelled out in state law was clear—for absentee or mail-in ballots to count, they must be dated with the date voters completed them. The opinion said that undated and wrongly dated absentee and mail-in ballots should be rejected in future elections, and it confirmed that individual county boards of elections “retain authority to evaluate the ballots that they receive in future elections.”^[43]

On October 17, 2022, the Republican National Committee and the Pennsylvania Republican Party filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent counties from counting undated and wrongly dated absentee and mail-in ballots.^[44]

On November 5, 2022, the court issued a preliminary order, saying that mail-in ballots were to be rejected for the November 8 midterm election if the handwritten date was before September 19 or after November 8, and absentee ballots were to be rejected if the date was before August 30 or after November 8.^[45]

Universal mail voting declared unconstitutional (2022)[edit]

On January 28, 2022, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court struck down Act 77, which made absentee/mail-in voting available to all eligible electors, as a violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution. The court voted 3-2 on the matter, with Judges Mary Hannah Leavitt, Patricia McCullough, and Christine Fizzano Cannon (all Republicans) forming the majority and Judges Michael Wojcik and Ellen H. Ceisler (both Democrats) dissenting.^[46]

On March 3, 2022, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court stayed the Commonwealth Court's order, allowing the law to stand pending resolution of the appeal. The court heard oral argument on March 8, 2022.^[47]

On August 2, 2022, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the Commonwealth Court. The court voted 5-2 on the matter, with Chief Justice Max Baer and Justices Debra Todd, Kevin M. Dougherty, David N. Wecht, and Christine Donohue (all Democrats) forming the majority. Justices Sallie Mundy and Kevin Brobson (both Republicans) dissented. Writing for the majority, Donahue said:^[48]

“

The Commonwealth Court’s declaration that the universal mail-in voting provisions of Act 77 were unconstitutional was premised on its conclusion that it was bound by the definition of 'offer to vote' in Article VII, Section 1 of our Constitution as construed in the Chase and Lancaster City decisions. ... [T]he pronouncements in those cases do not control our interpretation of the Constitution in effect when Act 77 became law. Based upon our analysis of Article VII, Section 1 of our Constitution, we conclude that the phrase 'offer to vote' does not establish in-person voting as an elector qualification or otherwise mandate in-person voting. We reiterate that our General Assembly is endowed with great legislative power, subject only to express restrictions in the Constitution. We find no restriction in our Constitution on the General Assembly’s ability to create universal mail-in voting.[15]

”

In her dissent, Mundy wrote the following: "When Article VII is viewed as a whole, ... the naming of certain classes of electors who are given the right to vote absentee necessarily implies that those are the only electors who may do so. It seems a stretch to conclude that the framers of the 1967 Constitution, in guaranteeing absentee voting to the identified classes, intended thereby to cede control over this delicate balance to the Legislature."^[49]

Absentee, registration, and voting rule changes (2019)[edit]

On October 31, 2019, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) signed SB421, an omnibus election law bill, into law. The law provided for the following changes to the state's electoral system:^[9]

• All voters became eligible to cast absentee/mail-in ballots, effective with the April 28, 2020, primary election.
• The voter registration deadline was extended from the 30th day preceding an election to the 15th day preceding an election.
• Straight-ticket voting, wherein a voter can select one party's entire slate of candidates for every office by making a single mark on the ballot, was eliminated.

Upon signing the bill, Wolf said, "For too long Pennsylvania has made it too hard for the citizens to actually fully participate in our democracy. These changes will make it easier for people to vote, participate in our democracy, actually to take care of the most fundamental responsibility of citizenship: voting."^[9]

The bill cleared the state House on Oct. 29 by a vote of 138-61. In the House, 105 Republicans and 33 Democrats voted in favor of the bill. The Senate followed suit the same day, approving the bill by a vote of 35-14, with 27 Republicans and eight Democrats voting in favor. State Rep. Malcom Kenyatta (D), who voted against the bill, took issue with the provision eliminating straight-ticket voting: "We’re making this process more difficult. We’re ignoring the cultural concerns of people who have voted in that way for years and years and years. And we’re doing it all at a time when we are changing the entire voting system, which is going to lead to lines lead to delays – and, actually, maybe lead to people not exercising their right to vote."^[50]

Secretary of State requires voting machines with paper record (2018)[edit]

On February 9, 2018, Acting Secretary of State Robert Torres issued a directive to county election officials stipulating that all voting equipment purchased thereafter provide for a paper record of all votes cast. The directive did not mandate that counties obtain new equipment, but it did establish specifications for new equipment that counties could purchase should they opt to replace their existing voting systems. In a press release, Torres said, "This directive will ensure that the next generation of the commonwealth’s voting systems conforms to enhanced standards of resiliency, auditability and security. The current voting equipment in counties works and can be audited. But new voting machines with paper ballots or voter-verifiable paper backup will improve auditability and augment security."^[51][52]

On April 12, 2018, Torres issued another directive to county election administrators instructing them to ensure that all voting machines, regardless of purchase date, provide for a paper record of all votes cast. Torres set a deadline of the end of 2019 for counties to comply with the directive. Torres said, "We want to bring about the system upgrades so Pennsylvania voters are voting on the most secure and auditable equipment as promptly and feasibly as possible." According to Verified Voting, as of November 2016, Pennsylvania was one of seven states in which both paper ballot and direct recording electronic (DRE) systems without paper trails were used. The other six states were Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. For more information about the voting equipment used in the United States, see this article.^{[51][52][53][54][55]}

Election policy ballot measures[edit]

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Pennsylvania ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Pennsylvania.

1. Pennsylvania Question 3, In-State Address Change and Voting Location Amendment (1959)
2. Pennsylvania Question 1, State Senate Elections Following Redistricting Amendment (May 2001)
3. Pennsylvania Question 6, Voter Residency Requirements and Absentee Voting Amendment (May 1967)
4. Pennsylvania Question 5, Joint Election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor Amendment (May 1967)
5. Pennsylvania Appointed Judges and Retention Elections Amendment (May 1969)
6. Pennsylvania Question 1, Election of the Attorney General Amendment (May 1978)
7. Pennsylvania Question 2, State Judicial Vacancies Amendment (May 1978)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Pennsylvania[edit]

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Pennsylvania. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker[edit]

State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.

Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:

• Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
• We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
• And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan

The Ballot Bulletin[edit]

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.

Ballot access[edit]

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Pennsylvania

In order to get on the ballot in Pennsylvania, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Pennsylvania. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Pennsylvania

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Pennsylvania's 17 United States representatives and 253 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.^{[56][57][58][59]}

Pennsylvania was apportioned 17 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, 1 fewer than it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Pennsylvania after the 2020 census.

State process[edit]

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

In Pennsylvania, the statutory authority to draw congressional district boundaries is vested with the Pennsylvania General Assembly. These lines are subject to gubernatorial veto.^[60]

State legislative district lines are drawn by a politician commission. Established in 1968, the commission comprises five members:^[60]

1. The majority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
2. The minority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
3. The majority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
4. The minority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
5. The first four commissioners appoint a fifth member to serve as the commission's chair. If the commission is unable to reach an agreement, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court must appoint a commission chair.^[60]

The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and compact. Further, state legislative districts should "respect county, city, incorporated town, borough, township and ward boundaries." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.^[60]

Election administration agencies[edit]

Election agencies[edit]

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Pennsylvania can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Pennsylvania County Election Officials

Click here for a list

Pennsylvania Secretary of State; Bureau of Elections

North Office Building, Room 210

401 North Street

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120-0060

Toll free: 1-877-868-3772

Email: ra-votereg@pa.gov

Website: https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/vote.html

Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission

Finance Building, Room 309

613 North Street

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120-0400

Phone: 717-783-1610

Toll free: 800-932-0936

Fax: 717-787-0806

Email: https://www.ethicsforms.pa.gov/Forms/ContactUs

Website: https://www.ethics.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov

Website: https://www.eac.gov

Ballotpedia's election coverage[edit]

Click the tiles below to navigate to 2024 election coverage, or use the map below:

See also[edit]

• 2024 election dates and deadlines
• Voting in Pennsylvania
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Pennsylvania
• Redistricting in Pennsylvania

Elections in Pennsylvania[edit]

• Pennsylvania elections, 2024
• Pennsylvania elections, 2023
• Pennsylvania elections, 2022
• Pennsylvania elections, 2021
• Pennsylvania elections, 2020
• Pennsylvania elections, 2019
• Pennsylvania elections, 2018
• Pennsylvania elections, 2017
• Pennsylvania elections, 2016
• Pennsylvania elections, 2015
• Pennsylvania elections, 2014

External links[edit]

• Pennsylvania Department of State - Voting & Elections

Footnotes[edit]

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