Voting Basics | Voting Process | Mail-In Voting
Civic engagement and secure elections are the bedrock of our Republic. When citizens actively participate and voting is conducted with integrity, we strengthen the foundation of our nation—ensuring that every voice is heard, every vote is counted, and trust in our institutions is upheld. As your state Senator, my goal is to uphold these values.
Unfortunately, I regularly receive feedback that individuals do not know where to find trusted, factual, and simply unbiased information regarding our elections. It is my hope this FAQ page will be a source of trusted and impartial information for all Pennsylvania voters, whether you are Democrat, Republican, or Independent.
As such, this page does not include my personal policy stances. Should you wish to better understand my perspective as your legislator, you may inquire here.
VOTING BASICS:
Am I registered to Vote?
You can check your voter registration status here. If you are not registered to vote, you can register here, the deadline is 15 days before the election – October 21, 2024.
To register to vote, you must be eligible. Here are Pennsylvania’s eligibility requirements:
- You must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election. The state of Pennsylvania and our county election offices use the SURE system to validate applicant’s citizenship.
- You must be a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which you want to register and vote for at least 30 days before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
- You must be at least 18 years of age on or before the day of the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
Where is my polling location?
You can find you polling location here.
What are my options for voting?
You have 4 options to cast your vote. You may do an absentee, mail-in, in-person, or provisional ballot.
Absentee Voters: If you plan to vote by absentee ballot in the 2024 General Election, your completed application must be received in the county office by 5:00 PM on 10/29/2024. Your voted ballot must be returned by 8:00 PM on 11/05/2024. The absentee ballot application can be found here.
Mail-in Voters: If you plan to vote using a mail-in ballot in the 2024 General Election held on 11/05/2024, your completed application must be received by your county election office by 5:00 PM on 10/29/2024. The deadline to return your completed mail-in ballot is 8:00 PM on 11/05/2024. The mail-in application can be found here.
In-person Voters: If you plan to vote in person, you can find your polling location here. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Remember, if you are in line by 8 p.m., you can vote. When you arrive, you will check in with the poll workers. Then, you will either hand mark a paper ballot or cast your vote using a machine called a ballot marking device.
Below you can find step-by-step instructions on what to expect when utilizing the voting system for your county: Monroe County, Lackawanna County, and Wayne County voting systems.
The next presidential election will be on Tuesday November 5, 2024.
Provisional Ballots: If you are a registered voter but your eligibility to vote at your polling place is uncertain, you have the right to vote a provisional ballot. You will be asked to follow these instructions:
- Complete the sections on the provisional envelope labeled Voter Information, Voter Affidavit for Provisional Ballot, and Current Address in front of election officials.
- Mark your provisional ballot in an accessible and private area of the polling place.
- Seal your provisional ballot in the secrecy envelope.
- Seal the secrecy envelope in the provisional ballot affidavit envelope.
- Fill out the Voter Signature section on the provisional ballot envelope in front of polling place election officials.
- Return the sealed provisional ballot affidavit envelope to a polling place election official.
- Receive your provisional ballot identification receipt.
For more information, please click here.
You can find if your provisional vote was counted, partially counted, or didn’t count beginning 7 days after the election. If your provisional ballot was not counted, you can find out why here or call 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).
What is a ‘sample ballot’ and where can I find one?
A sample ballot shows you the candidates and ballot measures as well as all state legislative, statewide, and congressional races for every upcoming federal and statewide election, local elections occurring within the 100 most populated cities in the U.S, and territorial elections across the nation.
You may contact our local district office if you have any questions and/or concerns at (570) 620-4326. Also, you may contact your local county’s elections office for more information:
Monroe: (570) 517-3165
Lackawanna: (570) 963-6737
Wayne: (570) 253-5978
Do I need to show ID at the polls?
Returning voters: You DO NOT have to show any identification at the polls. The only person(s) that shall show photo/non-photo identification are first-time voters.
First-time Voters: Please remember to bring a form of identification. Acceptable forms of photo/non-photo identification are listed below.
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
A non-photo identification that includes the voter’s name and address is also acceptable. Forms of non-photo identification include:
- Voter registration card issued by the County Voter Registration Office
- Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government
- Non-photo ID issued by any agency of the Commonwealth or U.S. Government
- Firearm permit
- Current utility bill
- Current bank statement
- Paycheck
- Government check
Some states have more strict “Voter ID” laws. In March of 2012, the Pennsylvania legislature passed a law the required everyone to present photo ID before voting. Two months later, (May of 2012) the new law was challenged in the Courts. By January of 2014, the Commonwealth Court ruled the law unconstitutional. The legislature has initiated the process to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution. For more information, click here.
What do I do if I experience an issue at the polls?
If you encounter issues at your polling locations, please call Dept. of State’s official election hotline at 1-877-868-3772.
Who is eligible to vote to Pennsylvania?
To vote in Pennsylvania, you must:
- Be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
- Be a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which you want to register and vote for at least 30 days before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
- Be at least 18 years of age on or before the day of the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
Who are the poll workers?
Poll workers, also known as election inspectors or clerks, are individuals who help facilitate the voting process on election day. They assist with setting up polling places, checking in voters, distributing ballots, and ensuring that the election runs smoothly and fairly.
Who are poll watchers and what do they do? Poll watchers in Pennsylvania are individuals authorized to observe the election process at polling places to ensure fairness and transparency. They are typically representatives of political parties, candidates, or advocacy groups, tasked with overseeing that voting procedures are followed correctly.
Does Pennsylvania have “early voting”?
Pennsylvania does not technically have Early Voting the way other states do. In Pennsylvania the only way you can vote prior to Election Day is by submitting your absentee or mail-in ballot prior to Election Day.
PENNSYLVANIA’S VOTING PROCESS:
What law governs our state’s elections?
In Pennsylvania, elections are run by your County Government, with state oversight.
The United States Constitution, Article II, Section I defines the individual state’s role as followed:
Each State shall appoint, in such a Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress.
The Pennsylvania State Legislature enumerated this power in the election code:
§ Section 1501. Election of Presidential Electors — At the general election to be held in the year 1940, and every fourth year thereafter, there shall be elected by the qualified electors of the Commonwealth, persons to be known as electors of President and Vice-President of the United States, and referred to in this act as presidential electors, equal in number to the whole number of senators and representatives to which this State may be entitled in the Congress of the United States.
You may view the state’s Election Code, Title 25, in its entirety here.
How are our state’s electoral votes determined?
Pennsylvania has 19 electoral votes. Each state is allocated a number of electoral votes equal to the number of Senators and Representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. Pennsylvania has two U.S. Senators and 17 congressional districts – combined, this is 19 electoral votes.
For information on how the Electoral College works, click here.
When can election offices begin counting and reporting votes?
County election offices can begin opening ballots at 7:00 AM on Election Day.
How are our votes counted and reported?
On Election Day, each precinct delivers its results to county officials, who are responsible for tallying, checking, and certifying the results.
Are our elections audited?
Yes. After every primary and general election, Pennsylvania counties conduct two separate audits. Read more here.
How does Pennsylvania remove deceased people from the voter rolls?
State and federal law requires election officials to regularly update voter registration records. County election offices routinely remove deceased voters from the voter rolls using records from the Dept of Health and the Social Security Administration.
How does Pennsylvania ensure only U.S. citizens are voting?
Both state and federal law declares that non-citizens are not eligible to vote. The state of Pennsylvania and our county election offices use the SURE system to check Social Security numbers and check if the applicant is registered to vote anywhere else.
MAIL-IN VOTING:
What is mail-in voting and how is it different from an absentee ballot?
In Pennsylvania, any registered voter can request a mail-in ballot or an absentee ballot. The difference is simple, when requesting an absentee ballot, you must provide a reason for the request. For a mail-in ballot, no reason is necessary. This is why it is often called, “no excuse” mail-in voting. Otherwise, a mail-in ballot and an absentee ballot are the same.
Absentee voting is guaranteed by our state’s constitution and mail-in voting has been provided by state statute.
Are mail-in ballots constitutional?
Yes, mail-in ballots are constitutional.
The constitutionality of mail-in voting has been questioned before the Pennsylvania courts. On August 2, 2022, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the Pennsylvania law allowing for mail-in voting does not violate the constitution.
Are mail-in ballots without a date counted?
No, if your mail-in ballots do not have a date, it will not be counted. However, County election offices are required to inform voters if their mail-in ballot has any errors.
Whether or not to count mail-in ballots without a date has been litigated in Pennsylvania courts. On September 19, 2024, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a ruling stating that any mail-in ballot that is not dated will not be counted. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that counties are required to inform voters if their mail-in ballot has any errors.
I received an application for a mail-in ballot, but I did not request it. How did this happen?
Political organizations may have sent you a targeted mailer based on your voter registration status and/or your voting propensity data. You can determine who sent it by looking for the “Paid for by…” language somewhere on the mailer.
The state and/or county government will not send you an application if you did not request one.