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Election Day isn’t until Nov. 3, but the 2026 election is officially underway in Pennsylvania: The first ballots are starting to hit voters’ mailboxes.
Voters around the state will weigh in on everything from control of the U.S. Congress to the commonwealth’s next governor.
Here is everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania in the 2026 midterm election.
How do I register to vote?
To be able to vote, you first must be registered. The last day to register to vote in the 2026 election in Pennsylvania is Oct. 19.
Current or prospective voters can check their registration status online here.
To register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen for at least 30 days prior to the election, be at least 18 years old by Election Day, and have lived in Pennsylvania for 30 days prior to the election.
Voters can register online through the Department of State’s website, by mail using this form, or in person at their county election office.
What offices are on my ballot?
Voters across the state will have congressional races, state House races, and the gubernatorial race on their ballot, and some will also have state Senate races and possibly other contests or ballot questions.
Nonpartisan groups such as the Committee of Seventy, Vote411, and Ballotpedia provide free sample ballots online based on voters’ addresses.
County election offices also provide sample ballots. You can look up your county website here.
How do I request a mail ballot?
Voting at a polling place on Election Day is not your only option. Mail voting is available to all registered voters in Pennsylvania and voters are not required to provide a reason for requesting a mail ballot.
The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is 5 p.m. on Oct. 27.
Voters can apply online here, by mailing this form to their county elections office, or by visiting their county elections office in person.
When filling out your mail ballot application, you’ll have the option to provide your email address. If you do, you will receive updates from your county on when they received your ballot and if there are any issues that could prevent it from being counted.
You can also track your mail ballot here.
I missed the deadline to apply for a mail ballot. What are my options if I can’t vote in person on Election Day?
If a voter has not applied for a mail ballot by Oct. 27 and some unexpected circumstance prevents them from voting in person on Nov. 3, they can apply for an emergency absentee ballot at any point before 8 p.m. on Election Day. Applications can be found here.
How do I return my mail ballot?
Mail voters can return their ballots through the U.S. Postal Service; just make sure you do it several days before Election Day to make sure it has plenty of time to arrive. Ballots can also be returned directly to your county election office or, if offered by the county, through a designated ballot dropbox or satellite voting location.
A list of drop boxes and satellite voting locations can be found here.
Once you have made your selections on the ballot — remember to check both sides — the ballot must first be placed in the secrecy envelope and sealed. Once it is placed in the secrecy envelope, place it in the outer return envelope and seal that as well. Finally, sign and date the declaration on the outer envelope, using the current date. Do not write on any other portion of the return or secrecy envelope.
Can I vote early in person in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania does not technically have early in-person voting like many other states. But registered voters can simulate the experience by visiting their county elections office anytime before Oct. 27 and applying for a mail ballot, filling it out, and handing it back to an election official all in one fell swoop.
Some counties also offer this option at satellite voting offices. Visit the Department of State website here to find out if this is available to you.
When and where can I vote on Election Day?
You can find your polling location here.
Polls will be open on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you will be allowed to vote.
What should I bring to vote?
If it is your first time voting at a new polling place, or your first time voting in Pennsylvania, you will be required to show ID. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver’s license, passport, utility bill with name and address, or paycheck with name and address, among other things. A full list can be found here. If you’ve voted at your polling place before, you shouldn’t need to bring anything.
I applied for a mail ballot. Can I still vote in person?
If you applied for a mail ballot and instead decided you would like to vote in person, you still can. Bring the entire mail ballot package, including the ballot and both envelopes, to your polling place and surrender them to the poll workers.
If you never received, forgot, or lost your mail ballot, you will have to vote a provisional ballot.
What is a provisional ballot?
Provisional ballots are used when there is some question about a voter’s eligibility, ranging from whether they are in fact registered to vote to whether they already returned a mail ballot. Provisional ballots allow these voters to cast a ballot on a conditional basis — if their eligibility is later confirmed, it will be included in the final count; if not, it will be excluded.
Voting a provisional ballot is very similar to voting a mail ballot. After the ballot itself is completed, it is placed in a secrecy envelope, then an outer envelope.
Unlike a mail ballot, there are two places provisional voters must sign. First, they must fill out their information in the Voter Information section of the outer envelope and sign the affidavit. After compiling the ballot and sealing it in the envelopes, the voter must also sign the Voter Signature section in front of the poll workers. Be sure the poll worker also fills out the portions they are responsible for, and keep the provisional ballot identification receipt given to you by the poll worker in a safe place.
Who can I contact if I have trouble voting or have any questions?
Voters who encounter any issues or have questions should contact their county election officials. Their contact information can be found here.
The Pennsylvania Department of State also runs a hotline for election issues, which can be reached at 1-877-868-3772.
If you experience something newsworthy while voting, we’d also like to hear about it. You can email us at pa.tips@votebeat.org.
Carter Walker is a reporter for Votebeat in partnership with Spotlight PA. Contact Carter at cwalker@votebeat.org.
