What you need to know about voting in the May 17 primary
May 2 is the deadline to register to vote
Pennsylvania’s primary is less than a month away, and candidates for federal and state offices are ratcheting up their campaigns.
But this time is also an opportunity for voters to double-check their registration status and prepare to cast their ballot. Here’s a rundown of important dates and tools for voters as the primary season enters the home stretch.
You have until May 2 to register to vote
Pennsylvania is one of nine states with closed primaries, meaning only registered voters affiliated with their particular party are allowed to cast a ballot in that primary. However, any eligible voter can change their party affiliation by filling out a form on the state website or at their county’s voter registration office. The deadline to register to vote and affiliate with a party is May 2.
To vote in the May 17 primary, you must:
Be a U.S. citizen as of April 17.
Be a Pennsylvania resident for at least 30 days.
Be 18 years old as of May 17.
Fill out the registration form, which can be found online or at your county’s voter registration office.
Voters have a choice of affiliating with any or no political parties - some voters are known to make up their own. However, the Republican and Democratic primaries are open only to their own members.
Voters who have moved, changed their name or wish to change their party affiliation can update their registration by May 2 and still participate in the primary. Voters can update their registration by filling out this online form or visiting their local county voter registration office.
Check your ballot status or polling place location
Signing up to vote is just half the battle. Voters need to remember if they’ve signed up to receive a mail-in ballot, if they’re affiliated with the correct party or where their local polling place is. This may sound simple, but it can get tricky. Counties sometimes need to move polling places due to population shifts or logistical challenges. And a voter who requested a mail-in ballot a year ago may not remember if they checked a box to receive mail-in ballots in the future.
The simplest way to check all these is by filling out a form on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website. After providing some identifying information, residents can confirm:
If they’re registered to vote.
Their party affiliation.
If they’re signed up for a mail-in ballot.
The location of their polling place. Directions from your home to the polling place are also available.
Voters without internet access should be able to get this information by calling their county voter registration office.
Know the rules about voting
While Republican lawmakers have attempted to repeal no-excuse mail-in voting or have a court deem it unconstitutional, mail-in voting is still legal in the May primaries. Voters can request a mail-in ballot as late as May 10, but election officials strongly advise voters to request their ballot before then. Ballots can take time to arrive by mail, and only ballots returned to the county voter registration office by the close of polls May 17 will be counted.
Some Pennsylvania counties, including Lehigh and Northampton, use drop boxes so voters can conveniently return their completed mail-in ballots. However, state law dictates that each voter must turn in their own ballot.
Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin found that hundreds of Lehigh County voters previously violated this provision last year. Martin said he will post law enforcement at Lehigh County drop boxes to enforce this rule moving forward.
Mail-in ballots can be requested online or at your county voter registration office. Voters who are not confident in mail delivery or the security of drop boxes can pick up a ballot in person at their local election office, mark the ballot and return it during the same trip.
Pennsylvania does not require voter ID, but people voting at their local polling place for the first time may be asked to present identification. County-issued voter registration cards meet this requirement along with driver’s licenses, U.S. passports, U.S. armed forces ID or a current utility bill.
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