Voting in Pennsylvania

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2026 election and voting dates
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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Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies.

The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Pennsylvania:

Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
Contact information for election agencies.

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on elections happening this year, click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration[edit]

Eligibility and registration details[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.^[1] The deadline for registering to vote is 15 days before the election.^[1] 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.^[2] On September 19, 2023, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced that the state had implemented automatic voter registration.^[3]

In-person voting[edit]

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.^[4]

Voter identification[edit]

See also: Voter identification laws by state

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.^[5]

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote. 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.^[6]

Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of October 2025. 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, such as a voter registration card
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^[7]

”

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.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit 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]

Local election officials[edit]

Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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.^[11]

Election administration agencies[edit]

Election agencies[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration 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

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External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Department of State, “Voter Registration Application,” accessed March 21, 2023
↑ Department of State, “Contact Your Election Officials,” accessed March 21, 2023
↑ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure," September 19, 2023
↑ Department of State, “First Time Voters,” accessed March 21, 2023
↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
↑ Department of State, "First Time Voters," accessed October 8, 2025
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Janie Valentine, "Email communication with Amy Gulli," September 10, 2024
↑ PennLive, "Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf signs historic election reform bill into law," October 31, 2019
↑ Pennsylvania.gov, “Voting in Pennsylvania,” accessed October 1, 2019
↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023

[pareg-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Department of State, “Voter Registration Application,” accessed March 21, 2023

[2] Department of State, “Contact Your Election Officials,” accessed March 21, 2023

[3] Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure," September 19, 2023

[4] Department of State, “First Time Voters,” accessed March 21, 2023

[5] Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025

[6] Department of State, "First Time Voters," accessed October 8, 2025

[quotedisclaimer-7] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[8] Janie Valentine, "Email communication with Amy Gulli," September 10, 2024

[omnibus2019-9] PennLive, "Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf signs historic election reform bill into law," October 31, 2019

[voting-10] Pennsylvania.gov, “Voting in Pennsylvania,” accessed October 1, 2019

[11] National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023

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