Know Your Voting Rights

You can register and vote if you are a citizen of the United States, 18 years old or older by Election Day, and a resident of Pennsylvania. Everyone who is eligible has a right to vote and should participate, especially women and people of color.

People who are in prison or jail because of a felony conviction and will not be released before the election and people who have been convicted of violating Pennsylvania election laws within the past four years cannot vote in Pennsylvania.

Yes. You can vote as long as you are not currently incarcerated for a felony. You can vote if you are on probation or parole, are under house arrest, or are serving time for a misdemeanor conviction. For more information, click here to visit our page about voting with a criminal conviction in PA.

It takes a few days for the county election office to review your registration form and add you to the list. You can check your registration status at vote.pa.gov.

If you get a notice that your registration has been rejected, or you have a question, call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) for assistance.

Yes. Update your address, if you want to vote close to your new home, or if you want to vote by mail. You can change your address at vote.pa.gov.
You may also go back to your old polling place and vote there. If you moved from out-of-state, you need to register to vote in Pennsylvania.

Being transgender could mean that you have an ID that doesn't match your gender identity or presentation, but this should not affect your right to vote in Pennsylvania. Still, if you are trans you should be aware of your rights in case you run into bias or misunderstandings of the law when it comes to gender identity. Knowing your rights can help avoid or solve problems at the polls.

Only voters who are voting for the first time in their election district need to show ID. Acceptable ID includes both photo and nonphoto ID. If you have an ID that does not match your gender identity, you can use a non-photo form of ID that has your address on it. 

Acceptable forms of non-photo ID include: voter registration card, non-photo ID issued by the commonwealth, non-photo ID issued by the U.S. government, firearm permit, current utility bill, current bank statement, current paycheck, or government check.

If you are not voting for the first time, but you're worried about being questioned, you can bring a non-photo form of ID just in case. Call the election protection hotline if you experience problems: 866-OUR-VOTE.

If you were born in Puerto Rico, you are automatically a U.S. citizen and are able to register to vote in Pennsylvania (or the state where you live).

Voting or even registering to vote when you are not a U.S. citizen is a crime and can prevent you from becoming a citizen.

You can track your ballot at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/BallotTracking.aspx. If it doesn’t arrive, or you lose it or make a mistake while you are marking the ballot, call your county election office for a replacement.

If you get a notice that your request was denied, call 866-OUR-VOTE to get free assistance from a lawyer.

Ballots that are submitted without the secrecy envelope are called “naked” ballots. Pennsylvania will not count “naked” mail-in ballots, so be sure to seal your completed ballot inside the blank secrecy envelope 
with the words “official election ballot” printed on it, before sealing it in the mailing envelope.

You must return your own ballot. If you have a disability you can designate someone else to return your ballot for you.

Yes. Bring your ballot and the return envelope to your polling place on Election Day. Poll workers will cancel it, and you can vote in person. (You must bring the entire mail-in ballot package, including the envelope with your name on it.)

If you don’t have your ballot, you will have to vote on a provisional ballot. 

Voting by mail is safe. There are checks in place that can prevent your vote from not being counted. If you suspect it is lost in the mail, or if you lose it in the house, you can call your county election office and request a replacement. Google your county’s election office, or call 877-VOTESPA  (877-868-3772) to be connected.

1. When you get your ballot in the mail, it will include three pieces: A secrecy envelope, with the words  “official election ballot” printed on it, that you should seal your ballot in, and a pre-addressed envelope in which you send the secrecy envelope to your county’s board of elections, and the ballot itself. Make sure not to damage any of these pieces when you open your ballot. 
2. Complete your ballot with a black pen. Make sure there are no additional markings on the ballot itself or on either of the envelopes included with your ballot. If you have young children, make sure to keep your ballot out of their reach.
3. Ballots that are submitted without the secrecy envelope are called “naked” ballots. Pennsylvania will not count “naked” mail-in ballots, so be sure to seal your signed and completed ballot inside the secrecy envelope with the words “official election ballot” printed on it, before sealing the secrecy envelope in the mailing envelope. 
4. Don’t forget to sign and date the Voter Declaration on the mailing envelope.
5. If you make a mistake on your ballot, you can call your county board of elections and request a new one. 
6. You can drop your ballot in a mailbox or ballot dropbox, but probably the most secure way to submit your mail-in ballot is by personally delivering the ballot to your county’s board of elections office. Note that you may only deliver your own ballot and you should make sure you have ID with you, just in case. You can track your ballot at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/BallotTracking.aspx.

You can find your polling place at www.vote.pa.gov or by calling 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) or call your county election office.

No. Only voters who are voting for the first time in their election district need to show ID.  You can use a photo ID, including an employee or student ID if you have one. You can also use a non-photo ID, like your voter registration card, a utility bill or bank statement that has your address. You should not be asked for your ID if you have voted before in the election district.

Acceptable forms of non-photo ID: voter registration card, non-photo ID issued by the commonwealth, non-photo ID issued by the U.S. government, firearm permit, current utility bill, current bank statement, current paycheck, or government check.

Acceptable forms of photo ID: Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card, ID issued by any Commonwealth agency, ID issued by the U.S. Government, U.S. passport, U.S. Armed Forces ID, Student ID, and Employee ID.

First, ask the election official to check the list again or to look at the supplemental poll book (a list of recent changes to the voting rolls). Offer to spell your name. If you believe you’re at the right polling place but your name isn’t on the voter list, ask for a provisional ballot. They are required to give you one.

A provisional ballot is used to record your vote when there’s a question about your eligibility to vote. If you request a mail-in ballot but do not receive it, you have to vote provisionally at your polling place. Your provisional ballot will be counted if election officials determine that you were eligible to vote.

Yes, but only for certain reasons and by certain people. An election official, poll watcher, or another voter may only challenge a voter if they think the voter does not live in the precinct or is not the person the voter says they are.

All voters in Pennsylvania may bring a person into the polling place to assist them with voting if they have trouble reading English or if they speak a language other than English. This person is allowed to interpret for them and is allowed to go with the voter into the voting booth to read or translate the ballot and instructions in the language of their choice or comfort. Philadelphia, Berks, and Lehigh Counties are required to provide voting materials in Spanish. Philadelphia must also provide voting materials in Chinese. Learn more about voting rights for people who speak a language other than English.