HARRISBURG – Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortés reminded Pennsylvanians that Monday, April 20, is the deadline to register to vote in the May 19 primary election.
“Voting is the lifeblood of democracy,” Cortés said. “It is the means by which we choose our representatives in the halls of government. Voting, too, is how we honor the heroes of our democracy, who have fought so valiantly to ensure ‘that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.’”
On May 19, voters will cast ballots in the municipal primary election for a variety of local and county races, as well as for candidates seeking Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, Court of Common Pleas and municipal court seats. Local ballot questions may also appear in each county.
Pennsylvania law requires a closed primary, meaning only voters registered as Democrat or Republican may select their parties’ nominees for office. However, all registered electors are entitled to vote on ballot questions and in all special elections that might be held concurrently with a primary.
Individuals applying to register to vote for the May 19 primary must be:
• A U.S. citizen for at least one month before the primary.
• A resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which the individual desires to register and vote for at least 30 days before the primary.
• At least 18 years of age on or before the primary.
Residents may apply in person at a county voter registration office, the state departments of Public Welfare or Health, PennDOT’s photo and driver license centers; Armed Forces recruitment centers; county clerk of orphan’s courts or marriage license centers; Area Agencies on Aging; county mental health and mental retardation offices; student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education; offices of special education in high schools; and Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complimentary paratransit providers.
Applications from eligible Pennsylvanians who need to register, change their address or change their party affiliation must be postmarked or personally delivered to the applicant’s county board of elections no later than April 20. Applicants should contact their county board of elections if they do not receive confirmation within 14 days of sending the application.
Printable voter registration applications, a polling place locator, and county boards of elections contact information are just some of the many resources available through VotesPA.com. The site also allows voters to view demonstrations of how to use the voting systems used by their county. Select “How to Vote” and choose your county of residence. Videos with step-by-step instructions on the various voting systems are available online.
Tips for first-time voters and members of the armed services, and instructions on how to cast a ballot are available at VotesPA.com. State law requires voters to present identification the first time they go to the polls and if they have moved to a new polling place. If a newly registered voter shows up without ID, he or she will be able to vote using a provisional ballot. The VotesPA.com site provides a list of first-time voter identification requirements.
For more information on voter registration, call the Department of State’s toll-free hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772), or visit VotesPA.com.