Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt reminded eligible Pennsylvanians today that the May 4 deadline to register to vote in the May 19 primary election is only two weeks away.

“Registering to vote only takes a few minutes, and I urge every eligible Pennsylvanian who is not yet registered to visit vote.pa.gov and start the process,” Schmidt said. “Participate in our democracy and let your voice be heard.”

Pennsylvanians are encouraged to use the Department’s online voter registration site, which is fast, secure, and convenient. Current registered voters can also use that site to update their name, address, or party affiliation.

Because Pennsylvania has a closed primary, only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote for their party’s nominees in the primary election. However, all voters can vote on any local ballot questions, as well as in any special elections that run simultaneously to the primary. For example, all voters in York County’s 196th House District can participate in the May 19 special election to fill the vacant seat for their state representative.

In the primary, eligible Democratic and Republican voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for their parties’ nominees for U.S. House of Representatives, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, even-numbered state Senate districts, and all state House districts, as well as Democratic and Republican State Committee. The Department’s candidate database lists candidates who are running for office.

To be eligible to register to vote in the May 19 primary, a person must be:

— a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the primary,

— a resident of the election district in which the person plans to register for at least 30 days before the primary, and

— at least 18 years old on or before May 19.

In addition to registering online, Pennsylvanians can receive an application to register to vote at: their county voter registration office; county assistance offices; Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program offices; Armed Forces recruitment centers; county clerk of orphans’ courts or marriage license offices; area agencies on aging; county mental health and intellectual disabilities offices; student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education, and Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers.

In 2023, PennDOT driver and photo license centers began offering automatic voter registration, which provides eligible Pennsylvanians with a convenient way to apply to register to vote when they obtain a new driver’s license or ID card or when they renew their existing identification. The Shapiro Administration launched the initiative as part of its continued commitment to ensuring free, fair, and secure elections.

Regardless of which method eligible Pennsylvanians use to register, county election offices must receive their voter registration application by close of business May 4.

Registered voters can request a mail ballot and vote from the convenience of their home or their county elections office, or they can vote at the polls on Election Day, Schmidt said.

“Your vote is valuable, regardless of how you choose to cast it, and I encourage you to exercise your constitutional right by voting in this election,” he added.

Mail ballot applications must be received by county elections offices by 5 p.m. on May 12. The deadline for county elections offices to receive completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. on Primary Election Day, May 19. Mail ballots received after that time will not be counted.

Pennsylvanians who prefer to vote in person can find their polling place at vote.pa.gov. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and any voter in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

The Department’s voter information website, vote.pa.gov, is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese and offers a polling place locator and contact information for county elections offices. It also includes tips for first-time voters, mail-in and absentee voters, elderly and disabled voters, and members of the military.