How to vote in Pennsylvania

Registration deadlines, ID, mail and early voting in Pennsylvania, in plain English, with the official links. The Pennsylvania Department of State is the final word on every rule.

Check your registration Register online Official election office
Register online Yes: By 11:59 p.m. on the 15th day before the election.
Register by mail Received by your county voter registration office by close of business on the 15th day before the election.
Register in person Received by your county elections office (or a PennDOT or other agency office) by close of business on the 15th day before the election.
Same-day registration No
Voter ID Only voters voting for the first time at a polling place must show ID, which may be photo or non-photo; mail ballot applicants give a PA driver's license or state ID number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Voting by mail No-excuse mail-in ballots: any registered voter can apply by 5 p.m. one week before the election, and the ballot must be received by the county by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Early voting No traditional early voting; once ballots are ready, you can apply for, receive, fill in and hand back a mail ballot in one visit to your county election office or a satellite office.
Statewide elections in 2027 Municipal Primary May 18, 2027 (register by May 3; mail ballot application by May 11) and Municipal Election November 2, 2027 (register by October 18; mail ballot application by October 26).

Checked against the Pennsylvania election office's website on November 8, 2026. Deadlines are for general elections; primaries, runoffs and local elections can differ. Military and overseas voters have their own rules at FVAP.gov.

Official sources

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