Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt reminded Pennsylvanians today that the Oct. 23 deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 7 municipal election is just one month away. Ensuring that our elections are conducted freely and fairly, and that every eligible voter can make their voice heard, are top priorities of the Shapiro Administration.
"I urge every eligible Pennsylvanian who is not yet registered to vote to do so before the Oct. 23 deadline," Schmidt said. "It takes only a few minutes to register, and then you can exercise your fundamental right to vote and let your voice be heard in the Nov. 7 municipal election."
To be eligible to vote, an individual must be:
- A United States citizen for at least 30 days before the election,
- A resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which the individual plans to register and vote for at least 30 days before the election, and
- At least 18 years old on the day of the election.
Pennsylvanians who are already registered to vote can check their registration status online and update their voter record with any changes to their name, address, or party affiliation.
Eligible voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for judicial races and local government positions this November. The department's candidate database lists county and statewide judicial candidates running for office.
In addition to registering online, eligible Pennsylvanians can register by mail or in person at the following locations:
- 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,
- special education offices in high schools,
- Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers, and
- Department of Transportation (PennDOT) driver and photo license centers.
New this fall at all PennDOT driver and photo license centers is a form of automatic voter registration, which provides eligible Pennsylvanians with a built-in 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 last week as part of its continued commitment to ensuring free, fair, and secure elections.
Registered voters can also request a no-excuse mail-in or absentee ballot online. Mail-in or absentee ballot applications must be received by a voter's county elections board by 5 p.m. Oct. 31. Voted mail ballots must be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. on Nov. 7. Voted mail ballots received after that time do not count, even if containing a postmark before the deadline.
The department's website, vote.pa.gov, is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese and offers online voter registration, a polling place locator, and county boards of elections contact information. It also includes voting tips for first-time voters and members of the military.