Dates and Deadlines
General Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
You must register to vote by Monday, October 19, 2020.
You can register online at www.votespa.com.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
About the General Election
General elections are always held on the first Tuesday in November.
In a general election, we vote for federal, state, and local officials, including:
- The U.S. president (elected every 4 years)
- U.S. senators and U.S. representatives to Congress
- Pennsylvania governor, lieutenant governor, general assembly, attorney general, auditor general, state treasurer
- County and city officials (only elected in odd-numbered years)
- Judges and magisterial district judges (only elected in odd-numbered years)
Who Can Vote
All voters must be U.S. citizens, be at least 18 years old on Election Day, and have been a resident of Pennsylvania for at least 30 days before the election.
What if I have a criminal conviction?
You can vote with a criminal conviction on your record in Pennsylvania if you:
- Are in jail or prison convicted of misdemeanors (must vote with an absentee ballot)
- Are under house arrest (must vote with an absentee ballot)
- Are on probation or on parole
- Are on parole or probation and living in a halfway house or community corrections center (must vote with an absentee ballot and cannot use the address of the halfway house as their registration address. Must use previous or future address.)
- Are being held in jail while you are waiting to go to trial (must vote with an absentee ballot)
You cannot vote if:
- You are in prison or jail because of a felony conviction and won’t be released before the election
- You have been convicted of violating Pennsylvania election laws within the past four years
Click here for more information about voting with a criminal conviction.
Call 866-OUR-VOTE to report problems that you witness or experience while voting.
View our PDF for FAQ about your voting rights.
