As your state Senator, I have taken an oath to support and defend the Pennsylvania and United States Constitutions. Ensuring our elections are free and fair is a priority. I often get questions from constituents about the election process and voting. As such, below are answers to some of the questions we receive. As always, if I can be of assistance in any way please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Voter Registration
You can check your voter registration status here. If you are not registered to vote, you can register here. The last day to register is October 21, 2024. To be eligible, you must be a United States citizen for at least one month before the next election, 18 years of age, and you must be a Pennsylvania resident for at least 30 days before the election.
Where Do I Vote?
You can find your polling location here.
How Can I Vote?
You may vote by 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 October 29, 2024. Your voted ballot must be returned by 8:00 PM on November 5, 2024. The absentee ballot application can be found here.
Mail-in Voters: A completed application must be received by your county election office by 5:00 PM on October 29, 2024. The deadline to return your completed mail-in ballot is 8:00 PM on November 5, 2024. The mail-in application can be found here.
In-person Voting: Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can find your polling location here.
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. For more information, please click here.
A provisional ballot is only counted if it is determined that the individual is registered and eligible to vote and has not already cast a ballot.
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).
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 cannot legally begin to open and count ballots before 7:00 AM on Election Day.
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 other key identifying information to check if the applicant is registered to vote anywhere else. The system also helps to maintain accurate and secure voter rolls.
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.
What do I do if I experience an issue or irregularity voting or at the polls?
If you encounter any issues at your polling locations, please call Dept. of State’s official election hotline at 1-877-868-3772.
Are our elections audited?
Yes. After every primary and general election, Pennsylvania counties conduct two separate audits. Read more here.