MP: People don’t ask why voting locally matters! There has been a lot of focus (and media attention) on federal elections, but it’s important to vote locally EVERY year, twice a year! Municipal elections and elections for the state legislature are where voters will see direct results in their communities.

SA: Thanks for your support! You can join your local League and volunteer in your community. We also have active petitions and letter campaigns so you can take action on hot-button PA issues. And make sure to subscribe to our email alerts and check out our social media!

SG: A few things to remember -

*Every* person is eligible to cast a provisional ballot – if you aren’t in the poll books, or if you are at the wrong polling place – or whatever. The county then verifies all the provisional ballots and if you were eligible to vote, your vote is counted.

If you request a mail ballot, and then decide to vote in person, you must bring your whole mail ballot package with you. It will be “spoiled” and you can then vote on the machine! If you don’t bring your mail ballot with you, you can vote by provisional ballot, and the county will check the records to make sure you didn’t submit your mail ballot.

ID is used for voter identification, not address verification. (You can find acceptable forms of ID for first time voters here: https://www.vote.pa.gov/Register-to-Vote/Pages/Voter-ID-for-First-Time-Voters.aspx) It is unlikely you would have a problem due to the outdated address on your ID, but if you run into any issues on Election Day we recommend you reach out to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Question #1: We love talking about the need to eliminate closed primaries! Right now, it’s not a system that works for everyone. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, nearly 1.1 million voters are registered as unaffiliated with a political party or Independent. This segment of the state’s electorate has been increasing for years - and is now the fastest growing segment of voters - consistent with a national trend of voters identifying as independents. But in Pennsylvania, these voters are prevented from participating in the local, state and federal primaries that are likely the most important elections in their communities.

New legislation (Senate Bill 690) introduced in the PA General Assembly would allow the 1.1 million independent and unaffiliated voters shut out of primary elections in Pennsylvania to choose a Democratic or Republican ballot. We support this legislation and urge members of both parties to sign on.

We are part of a coalition working towards a solution, and you can join! Learn more at ballotpa.org.

Question #2: Regardless of who wins the Governorship, we are going to be vigilant in our policy advocacy – specifically to make sure that best practices are followed for voter role maintenance.

SA: Great question! We absolutely provide this information via Vote411.org, our nonpartisan election tool. All information comes directly from the candidates themselves and is unedited and unbiased. You can also check your voter registration and find your polling place!

MP: Thanks for your question! Happy to explain.

According to the PA Department of State, every county is expected to include undated ballots in their official returns for the Nov. 8 election, consistent with the Department of State's guidance. That guidance followed the most recent ruling of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court holding that both Pennsylvania and federal law prohibit excluding legal votes because the voter omitted an irrelevant date on the ballot return envelope.
The order from the U.S. Supreme Court vacating the Third Circuit's decision on mootness grounds was not based on the merits of the issue and does not affect the prior decision of Commonwealth Court in any way. It provides no justification for counties to exclude ballots based on a minor omission, and the PA Dept of State expects that counties will continue to comply with their obligation to count all legal votes.

SG: We have gone to court to challenge voter ID requirements and are ready to defend voter access in many forms. Voters should also not be disenfranchised for making immaterial / minor/ technical errors when using a mail ballot. Forgetting to add a date on the outer envelop shouldn’t disqualify a vote. We know when the ballots are mailed to voters and they are time-stamped when they are received by the election office– so the voter adding the date doesn’t mean much.

Some important PA election dates:

Last day to register to vote: October 24

Last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot, or to vote early in person: November 1, 5 p.m.

Last day to return your mail-in or civilian absentee ballot to the County Board of Elections: November 8 by 8 p.m.

General Election Day/hours: November 8, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SG: We are following efforts that would create more hurdles – taking away options (like drop-boxes) or making the voter registration deadline earlier, or changing the Voter ID requirements are also a concern. Pennsylvania already has a pretty strong Voter ID law, so eliminating types of ID that can be used creates more hurdles for people.

SG: Voting should be convenient and accessible for every eligible voter. One roadblock was the requirement for in person voting on a single day – we changed that with the adoption of no-excuse vote by mail. We need to expand the times, hours and ways people can vote. Not everyone lives near the county seat, so making sure we have dropboxes is important too.

MP: Voting by mail is safe, secure and convenient! Below are general steps on how to vote, prepare, and return your mail ballot. More info from the PA Dept of State vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx

Step 1: Read the instructions carefully and mark your ballot. Be sure to complete the front and back of each page.

Step 2: Seal your ballot in the inner secrecy envelope that indicates "official election ballot." Do not make any marks on the inner secrecy envelope.

Your ballot must be enclosed and sealed in the inner secrecy envelope that indicates "official election ballot" or it will not be counted.

Step 3: Seal the inner secrecy envelope in the pre-addressed outer return envelope. Complete the voter’s declaration on the outside of the outer return envelope.

If you do not complete the declaration on the return envelope your ballot will not be counted.

Step 4: Return your voted ballot to the county election board. Absentee and Mail-in Ballots must be received by 8 pm on election day at your county election board. To ensure your ballot is received by the deadline, return the ballot as soon as possible.

You can vote safely and conveniently by mail-in / absentee ballot! Registered voters can request a mail-in ballot at vote411.org. Remember, you must request a mail-in ballot by November 1, and it must be RECEIVED by your county election office by election day, November 8th. Postmarks do not count. Don’t delay, request your absentee ballot ASAP!

You may have heard about Early Voting in other states. If you are a registered Pennsylvania voter, you can use the early in-person voting option. You can request, receive, vote and cast your mail-in or absentee ballot all in one visit to your county election board or other officially designated site. With this option, there is no need for mail at all, and you can cast your vote at your convenience.

Some helpful information about registering to vote! The deadline to register in Pennsylvania is Monday, October 24th. You can register to vote online at vote411.org. If you are already registered to vote in Pennsylvania, you do not have to register again unless you need to change your name, address, or political party. Again, head to vote411.org to check your registration.

We are seeing increased enthusiasm for voting this election season for a number of reasons, especially because issues like abortion care, public education funding, gun safety, and more are on the ballot. Pennsylvanians realize that how we vote on these issues will have direct impact in our state. PA is also considered a “battleground state” which is why our elections are so closely watched nationally – power tends to swing back and forth between parties. No matter how you choose to vote, your vote matters in PA!

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