To register to vote in the State of Pennsylvania an individual must meet the following qualifications:
- Be a United States Citizen for at least one month before the next election
- Be at least 18 years of age by the time of the election
- Be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district for at least 30 days before the next election
- Must register to vote at least 30 days before the election.
Can change or select party affiliation up to 30 days before the election.
YOU MAY APPLY TO REGISTER:
- In person at a county voter registration office or other site(s) designated by your county.
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By mail in one of three ways:
- Obtain a State or Federal voter information mail application. The Secretary of the Commonwealth and all county registration commissions supply voter registration mail applications to all persons and organizations who request them, including candidates, political parties and political bodies and other Federal, State, and municipal offices.
- Download the voter registration application.
- Apply at Department of Transportation photo license center when you obtain or update your driver’s license.
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Apply at a government agency. Clients of these government agencies may apply to register to vote at:
- State offices that provide public assistance and services to persons with disabilities
- Armed Forces Recruitment Centers
- County Clerk of Orphans' Court offices, including the Marriage License Bureau
- Area Agencies on Aging
- Centers for Independent Living
- County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Offices
- Student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education
- Offices of Special Education
- ADA Complementary Paratransit offices
Note: There are older versions of the mail applications still available in Pennsylvania including those that indicate that convicted felons are prohibited from registering to vote for five years after their release from prison. This requirement was struck down by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and is no longer the law. A convicted felon released from prison may apply to register to vote by striking through the felony conviction language.
Absentee Voting:
You can obtain an absentee ballot application at through your county’s elections office. An absentee ballot request form is also available online.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is the Tuesday before the election.
Voted absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election. In a presidential election, ballots received by the county after 5 p.m. Friday but up to the closing of the polls will be counted for the offices of President and Vice-President only.
For more election and voter information you can contact the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Office.
