At a Glance: Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Voting Rules

Voter Registration Form:
Forms can be found here.

Deadline to Register:
30 days prior to Election Day. This falls on a Sunday, therefore PA has made October 6, 2008 the last day.

Voter Eligibility:
Must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election, a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which the individual desires to register and vote for at least 30 days before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election, and at least 18 years of age on or before the day of the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.

Identification Requirements:
You must supply your Driver’s License number or the last four digits of your Social Security number to register. If you do not have either, you will be supplied with a unique ID number by the state.

Where to Turn in Your Registration:
Voter registration forms should be returned to County Election Offices.

How to Register Others:
To conduct a voter registration drive in the state of Pennsylvania, you should use the state’s voter registration application (available from the Department of State’s website, which is here. All registration forms must be sent in, regardless of political affiliation. Follow voter registration guidelines by signing the applications of individuals who require assistance in completing the forms. The applications must also be sent to your designated county board of elections in a timely manner (you are permitted to send multiple forms). The deadline to register to vote before the General Election is October 6th; therefore, the applications must be post-marked by that date.

Absentee Voting:
Absentee voting is available. Excuses are required.

Excuses: An individual who is or may be in the military service of the United States, regardless of whether at the time of voting the military elector is present in the election district of residence or in the Commonwealth and regardless of whether the elector is registered to vote; a spouse or dependent residing with or accompanying a person in the military service of the United States, who on Election Day is absent from the municipality of residence; a member of the Merchant Marine, and his/her spouse and dependent residing with or accompanying the Merchant Marine, who on Election Day is absent from the municipality of residence; a member of a religious or welfare group attached to and serving with the armed forces, and his/her spouse and dependent residing with or accompanying him or her, who on Election Day is absent from the municipality of residence; an individual who, because of the elector's duties, occupation or business (including leaves of absence for teaching, vacations, and sabbatical leaves), expects on Election Day to be absent from the territorial limits of the United States, and the spouse and dependent of such elector who is residing with or accompanying the elector and for that reason also expects to be absent from the territorial limits of the United States (provided the person has been registered under the Permanent Registration Law); an individual who, because of the elector's duties, occupation or business (including leaves of absence for teaching, vacations, and sabbatical leaves), expects on Election Day to be absent from the municipality of residence during the entire period the polls are open; a qualified war veteran elector who is bedridden or hospitalized due to illness or physical disability if the elector is absent from the municipality of his residence and unable to attend his/her polling place because of such illness or disability, regardless of whether the elector is registered to vote; any person who, because of illness or physical disability, is unable to attend his/her polling place or to operate a voting machine and obtain assistance by distinct and audible statements; a county employee who expects that his or her Election Day duties relating to the conduct of the election will prevent the employee from voting; and any qualified elector who will be unable to vote in person because of observance of a religious holiday.

Begin the Application Process
Dates: Must be received 7 days before Election Day (October 28).

Early Vote:
No early voting is available.

For More Information
Visit their website

Info about veterans, voting in other states, etc.

Please see this website for more information on U.S. Military Voter Services and voting overseas.

Click here to return to our Voter Registration Action Center home page.

Read our voter registration event guide here.

Visit Pennsylvania's state home page.