Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt today reminded Pennsylvanians that the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 midterm election is just one month away.
“Registering to vote takes only a few minutes, and I urge every eligible Pennsylvanian who is not yet registered to vote to do so before the Oct. 19 deadline,” Sec. Schmidt said. “Once you are registered, you can exercise your fundamental right to vote and let your voice be heard in the upcoming general election.”
Eligible Pennsylvania voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for their U.S. House of Representatives seat, Governor/Lieutenant Governor, even-numbered state Senate districts, and all state House districts. The Department’s candidate database lists candidates who are running for office.
“Ensuring that our elections are conducted freely, fairly, and securely, and that every eligible voter can make their voice heard, are top priorities of the Shapiro Administration,” Sec. Schmidt said.
To be eligible to vote in the Nov. 3 election, a person must be:
- A U.S. citizen for at least one month before the primary,
- A resident of the election district in which the person plans to register for at least 30 days before the primary, and
- At least 18 years old on or before Nov. 3.
Pennsylvanians who are already registered to vote can check their registration status online. They can also update their voter record with any name, address, or party affiliation changes.
Eligible Pennsylvanians also can get a voter registration application at the following locations:
- their county elections 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.
In 2023, all PennDOT driver and photo license centers began offering automatic voter registration, which provides eligible Pennsylvanians with a convenient way to apply to register to vote when they obtain a new driver's license or ID card or renew their existing identification. The Shapiro Administration launched the automatic registration initiative as part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring free, fair, and secure elections.
Registered voters can also request a mail ballot online. Mail ballot applications must be received by a voter’s county elections board by 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Voted mail ballots must be received by county elections offices by 8 p.m. Nov. 3.
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.