Monday is the deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania. Here's what to know.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Monday is the last chance for eligible Pennsylvania residents to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general election, when voters will decide on president, U.S. Senate, state attorney general and other key races nationally and locally.

Here’s what to know.

How to register

If you were registered to vote in 2022 and you haven’t moved, you’re still good.

Not sure? Find your registration status on the state department’s website.

If you need to update your registration, the state department’s website breaks down those steps.

To register to vote in Pennsylvania, you must:

Be a U.S. citizen for at least one month before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election
Be a Pennsylvania resident in the election district in which you want to register and vote for at least 30 days before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election
Be at least 18 years old age on or before the day of the next primary, special, municipal, or general election

Can I register to vote in Pennsylvania if I am in the military, a veteran or live overseas?

Veterans, people currently serving in the United States military, or living overseas have special rules and additional options for voting.

To register to vote you can:

Use any official voter registration form to register online, by mail or in person.
Use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). To receive the FPCA by e-mail, write to [email protected].
Request that the state mail you a paper voter registration form. E-mail your request to [email protected].
Use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB).

Learn more about voting as a military or person living overseas.

Get prepared to vote

Our Pennsylvania voter guide will get you ready for the 2024 election. Click the image below to see our complete guide.

How to vote

Vote in person

Find your polling place. Even if you've been voting in the same location for years, that location might be different.
Go to your polling place and cast your vote between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 5).

Or, vote by mail

If you'll be out of town on Election Day, you can fill out an absentee ballot. Or, if you’ll be in town but prefer not to vote in person, you can fill out a mail-in ballot.

Download the vote by mail application on or before Oct. 29. You'll get a ballot packet in the mail. Fill out the ballot (see step-by-step instructions), put it in the secrecy envelope, which already has the correct address, add a stamp and mail it. Your ballot must be:

Received (not just postmarked) by 8 p.m. Election Day (Nov. 5).
Inside the secrecy envelope.
Correctly dated.
Signed.

If any of these requirements are not followed, your ballot won’t count.

Instead of mailing, you can drop off your ballot at these designated locations on or before 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 5). You will need your PennDOT ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number for early ballot dropoff. Please refer to the list of ID requirements for mail-in or absentee ballots for more information.

How voting works

If you have questions about “early voting,” allegations of voter fraud, vote-counting in Pennsylvania and more, this page from the state department breaks down common misconceptions and lets you know what to expect from voting during this election.