With Labor Day over, the fall election season is now in full swing. Election Day is Nov. 8, just two months away.
Besides choosing a new governor and U.S. senator, Lehigh Valley voters will see races for the 7th Congressional District, 11 state House seats, including six contested races, three state Senate seats, all contested.
In coming weeks, Armchair Lehigh Valley will be running profiles of the candidates. But you can click here for a list.
Meanwhile, here are important dates and information to keep handy.
Redistricting
Mandated redistricting has altered boundaries for congressional and state House and Senate races in Pennsylvania.
For a color-coded state Senate district map and descriptions of each Senate district, click here.
You can find a color-coded state House of Representatives district map here.
The 7th includes all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties and in Monroe County, Eldred and Polk townships and about half of Ross Township.
Election Day
Poll hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
How to find your polling place: Click here
Registering to Vote
Deadline to register: Oct. 24.
Who is eligible to register: U.S. citizens who have been residents of Pennsylvania at least 30 days before Nov. 8.
How to register: Click here.
How to check your registration status: Click here.
Information: 877-868-3772
Vote by Mail
No-excuse mail-in voting is still legal in Pennsylvania. You must be registered to vote to request an application to do so. You can request a form now. Absentee voting and emergency absentee voting are also available.
Last day to request a mail-in ballot: Nov. 1.
How to request a mail-in ballot: Click here.
Annual mail-in voting: You can register to automatically receive mail-in ballots for an entire election year. To find out if you are already registered, click here.
The request is good until February in the following year. Pennsylvania will then automatically send you a paper request form to sign up again. You can also do so online.
For more information on mail-in voting, click here
How to submit mail-in ballots: Voters can return their ballots by mail. They can also drop them at their county election office or at official drop-box locations in their counties.
Voters legally can only submit their own ballots by mail or to county offices and drop-off boxes.
Various counties, including Lehigh, have posted personnel near drop-off boxes to make sure voters are following the law. Lehigh has also warned violators of possible prosecution.
However, voters with a disability defined by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act can designate someone to do it for them by filling out a form.
Mail-in ballot due date: Mail-in and absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 8. Ballots received after 8 p.m. with Nov. 8 postmarks will not be accepted.
What if a mail-in voter wants to vote in person? If you have a mail-in ballot that hasn’t been received by your county election office, you can bring it to your polling place and then vote in person. If you lost your mail-in ballot, you can request a provisional ballot at your polling place.
Federal campaign expense report deadlines
October Quarterly: 10-15-2022
Pre-General: 10-27-2022
Post-General: 12-08-2022
Year-End 2022: 1-31-2023
Look up the 7th Congressional District candidate finance reports here.
Pennsylvania Campaign Expense Report Deadlines
6th Tuesday PreElection: 9-27-22
2nd Friday Pre-Election: 10-28-22
24-hour Reporting: 11-8-22
Thirty-day post-election: 12-8-22
2022 Annual Report: 1-31-23
Look up the finance reports for Pennsylvania candidates here.