Pennsylvania Secretary of State: Voter Registration Deadline is October 9

News provided by

Oct 02, 2018, 15:02 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Acting Secretary of State Robert Torres today reminded Pennsylvanians they have one week left to register to vote in the November 6 election. He encouraged citizens to take advantage of quick and convenient online voter registration (OVR).

Eligible citizens have until Tuesday, October 9, to apply for a new voter registration or make changes to their existing registration.

"Voting is both a precious right and a privileged duty in a democracy," Secretary Torres said. "The Department of State is urging every eligible Pennsylvanian to register to vote by the October 9 deadline and then to cast a ballot in the November 6 election so their voices may be heard."

The state's OVR application can be found at register.votesPA.com. In addition to applying for a new registration, the OVR system can also be used to make updates to an existing voter record, such as a change of name, address or party affiliation. Since the launch of OVR in August 2015, more than 1.18 million eligible Pennsylvanians have used the site.

Voters are also encouraged to use the online system to confirm their registration status prior to the deadline. The site also provides polling place information and identifies each voter's congressional, state Senate and state House districts.

Registered voters planning to cast an absentee ballot are advised to pay close attention to important deadlines. Although the deadline to request an absentee ballot is Tuesday, October 30, the voted ballots must be received in the county election office by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 2.

Due to the 3-day time frame between the deadline to request an absentee ballot and the deadline by which the county election office must receive the voted ballot, and cutbacks in service by the U.S. Postal Service, voters are strongly urged to mail their absentee ballot request (PDF) no later than October 19.

Voters may deliver their voted absentee ballots in person to county election offices or mail them if there is adequate time for delivery. A postmark with the deadline date is not sufficient for the ballot to be counted.

On November 6, Pennsylvania voters will elect a Governor and Lieutenant Governor, one U.S. Senator and 18 U.S House members. Even-numbered state Senate districts and all state House seats also will be on the ballot.

Individuals wishing to register to vote in the November 6 election must be:

A citizen of the United States for at least one month before the election.
A resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which the individual wants to register and vote for at least 30 days before the election.
At least 18 years of age on or before the date of the election.

Eligible voters also can register by mail or apply in person at a county voter registration office; county assistance offices; Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program offices; PennDOT photo and driver's license centers; 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; offices of special education in high schools; and Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers.

Applicants using the OVR system must complete and submit their application by 11:59 p.m. on October 9. Traditional paper application forms must be received in county voter registration offices by close of business or postmarked by October 9.

Electors who do not receive confirmation of their application within 14 days of submission should contact their county voter registration office.

The Department of State's website votespa.com, available in English and Spanish, offers printable voter registration applications (PDF), a polling place locator and county boards of elections contact information. It also includes tips for first-time voters and members of the military.

In addition, voters can familiarize themselves with the voting system they will use in their home county on Election Day.

For more information on voter registration, call the Department of State's toll-free hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772) or visit votesPA.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Wanda Murren (717) 783-1621

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of State