by Ian Karbal, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
Pennsylvanians who wish to cast a vote in next month’s primary must be registered to vote by May 5.
A voter deposits a mail-in ballot at the drop box outside the Chester County Government Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Capital-Star/Peter Hall)
While off-year elections typically draw less attention than those on even-numbered years, the upcoming primaries will determine which candidates advance in a host of local and statewide races that will be held in November.
Pennsylvania has a closed, partisan primary system. That means only voters registered as Democrats or Republicans, respectively, will have a chance to cast a ballot for which of their party’s candidates will advance to the general election in November.
What’s on the ballot?
Which elections are being held this year will vary across different parts of the state. Many municipalities will hold elections for city and county commissioners, school board members, township supervisors, Court of Common Pleas judges, and other elected positions.
In some cities, like Pittsburgh, Lancaste,r and Harrisburg, voters will be able to cast a ballot in their Mayoral primary.
Some counties will also have judicial elections for their Court of Common Pleas, the state’s lower courts.
Residents in counties like Allegheny, Montgomery, and Philadelphia will be able to decide on several “ballot questions” in May. Voters do not have to be registered with any particular political party to cast these votes.
There are also statewide races.
On May 20, voters in their respective parties’ primaries will choose who to nominate for seats on the Commonwealth and Superior Courts. These are the appellate courts in Pennsylvania’s judicial system — the ones that rule on appeals and decisions from the lower courts, but sit beneath the state Supreme Court. Justices serve 10-year terms.
Three Democratic state Supreme Court justices are also up for retention elections this year, but not until November. Then, voters will be able to decide whether those justices should keep their seats on the bench.
Voters can check what will be on their ballots by contacting their local election offices, listed here.
How to register and who can vote
Eligible voters can register to vote at vote.pa.gov. Registered voters can also check where they are registered and with what party.
Primary voters must be 18 years old and residents of the district they wish to vote in for at least 30 days ahead of the primary. Voters must also be U.S. citizens for at least a month before the election.
Pennsylvanians can also register at their county’s registration offices, and some other locations like Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program offices, armed forces recruitment centers, and some PennDOT offices when obtaining a new driver’s license or state ID.
Because primaries are closed and partisan, voters must also be registered to the party for which they wish to cast ballots in these elections. Non-partisan ballots will be available for voters not registered to any party in locations with ballot questions or other non-partisan elections.
Prospective voters with questions should contact their county’s election offices.
How to vote
Registered voters who wish to cast their ballot in person on May 20 can find their polling place at this website. Voters casting a ballot for the first time in their district will need to show a valid ID.
Voters may also register for absentee or mail ballots, which every voter is eligible for. In order to vote in the May 20 primary, however, voters must have their completed absentee ballot registration received by their county election office by 5 p.m. on May 13.
To apply for an absentee ballot, voters must provide a valid driver’s license or PennDOT ID. If they don’t have those, they must provide the last four digits of their social security number and a signature, which can be uploaded online.
Applications for mail ballots can be submitted online at this website.
All mail ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on May 20.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501 (c) (3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.
The Pennsylvania Capital-Star is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news site dedicated to honest and aggressive coverage of state government, politics and policy.
The nearly 13 million people who call the commonwealth home depend on their interests being safeguarded by one of the nation’s largest, most expensive, and often inefficient and corrupt full-time state legislatures. The actions of the legislative, executive and judicial branches touch on almost every aspect of Pennsylvanians’ daily lives.
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