The Primary Election is on Tuesday, May 17

May 17, 2022 is the Primary Election.

Polls are open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The last day to register to vote was May 2, 2022. The last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot was May 10, 2022.

Primary elections

Primary elections in Pennsylvania are held on the third Tuesday of May in most years.

In presidential years, the primary election is held on the fourth Tuesday of April.

In a primary election, each political party selects its candidates to run for office during the general election. The candidates who get the highest number of votes in the primary election go on to run in the general election . Voters also vote for their party’s officers during a primary election.

In Pennsylvania, you can only vote for the candidates in the same political party you have named in your voter registration. For example, if you registered to vote as a member of the Republican Party then you can vote in the Republican primary, but not the Democratic primary.

All voters can vote on:

• Constitutional amendments,

• Ballot questions, and

• Any special election contests held at the same time as a primary election.

General elections

General elections are always held the first Tuesday, after the first Monday, in November.

Nov. 8, 2022, is the next General Election. Polls are open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The last day to register to vote in the General Election is Oct. 24, 2022. The last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is Nov. 1, 2022

In a general election, Pennsylvanians vote for federal, state, and local officials, including:

• U.S. senators and U.S. representatives to Congress

• Pennsylvania governor, lieutenant governor, general assembly, attorney general, auditor general, state treasurer

• County and city officials (only elected in odd-numbered years)

• Judges and magisterial district judges (only elected in odd-numbered years)

In odd-numbered years, like 2021, these November elections are also called municipal elections because there are no federal or state office on the ballot.

Every four years, the General Election is also a presidential election.

Mail-in and

Absentee Ballots

In Pennsylvania, you have two options for mail ballots.

1. Mail-in ballot – Any qualified voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. You may simply request this ballot without a reason.

2. Absentee ballot – If you plan to be out of the municipality on election day or if you have a disability or illness that prevents you from going to your polling place on election day, you can request this ballot type, which still requires you to list a reason for your ballot.

In order to request either ballot type, you must be registered to vote. Check Your Registration Status at the country courthouse to review your registration information.

Any registered voter may request a mail-in ballot. Absentee ballots can be requested by voters with disabilities or an illness that prevents them from going to their polling place on election day, or those who will be absent from their municipality on Election Day.

You now have the option to request to be added to the annual mail-in ballot request list where you’ll receive an application to renew your mail-in ballot request each year. Once your request is approved, you will automatically receive ballots for the remainder of the year, and you do not need to submit an application for each election.