Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt reminded eligible Pennsylvanians today that the Oct. 19 deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 midterm election is less than two weeks away.
“Registering to vote can be done online at vote.pa.gov, in person at your county elections office, or by paper application delivered to your county elections office,” Sec. Schmidt said. “It only takes a few minutes to ensure that you can make your voice heard in this election.”
Online voter registration applications can be submitted up to 11:59 pm Oct. 19. Mailed and in-person voter registration applications must be received at county elections offices by close of business Oct. 19.
Pennsylvanians are encouraged to use the Department’s online voter registration site, which is fast, secure, and convenient. Current registered voters can also use that site to update their name, address, or party affiliation.
In the Nov. 3 election, Pennsylvania voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for governor/lieutenant governor, their representative in Congress, even-numbered state Senate districts, and all state House districts. The Department’s candidate database lists candidates who are running for office.
To be eligible to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election, a person must be:
a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the midterm election,
a resident of their election district for at least 30 days before the election, and
at least 18 years old on or before Nov. 3.
In addition to registering online or printing a paper application from vote.pa.gov, Pennsylvanians can receive an application to register to vote at:
their county voter registration office,
county assistance offices,
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program offices,
Armed Forces recruitment centers,
county clerk of orphans’ courts or marriage license offices,
area agencies on aging,
county mental health and intellectual disabilities offices,
student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education, and
Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers.
Sec. Schmidt noted that registered voters can request a mail ballot and vote from the convenience of their home or their county elections office, or they can vote at the polls on Election Day. Mail ballot applications must be received by county elections offices by 5 p.m. Oct. 27.
The deadline for county elections offices to receive completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Mail ballots received after that time will not be counted.
Pennsylvanians who prefer to vote in person can find their polling place at vote.pa.gov. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and any voter in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
The Department’s voter information website, vote.pa.gov, is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese and offers a polling place locator and contact information for county elections offices. It also includes tips for first-time voters, mail-in and absentee voters, elderly and disabled voters, and members of the military.
Members of the public can access weekly voter registration statistics, historical election data, annual voter registration reports, election directives and guidance, and other election administration resources on the Department of State's website. To learn more about annual voter list maintenance, visit the Department’s Fact-Checking Pennsylvania-Related Election Claims page.
Sec. Schmidt discussed voting by mail in a media briefing today.