Pennsylvania 2026 midterm election: Key deadlines, how to register and vote

PHILADELPHIA - We're just weeks away from the midterm elections. On the ballot in Pennsylvania this year are battles for governor, all of Pennsylvania's 17 U.S. House seats and more. With so much on the line, it's important to know some deadlines that are fast approaching for you to register and be able to vote in the midterms.

Here's everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania in the midterm elections.

JUMP TO: AM I REGISTERED? | HOW TO REGISTER | EARLY VOTING | VOTE BY MAIL | ELECTION DAY VOTING | ELECTION DEADLINES 

How do I check if I'm registered to vote in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvanians can check if they're currently registered to vote online here.

You can either check using your name, county ZIP code and birthdate, or by using the number on your Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID.

How to register to vote in Pennsylvania

What you can do:

Pennsylvania voters can register online, in person and by mail.

Pennsylvania's online voter registration

Pennsylvania's online voter registration form can be found on the State Department's website, here.

To complete the form, you need your:

• Name
• Birthdate
• U.S. citizenship status
• Pennsylvania address
• Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID, or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number

In-person voter registration in Pennsylvania

If you'd rather register in person, you can do so in many different places across the state.

First, you can register at your county elections office or voter registration office, which you can find online here.

There are nearly a dozen other government offices where you can apply in Pennsylvania, including: 

• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
• State offices that provide public assistance and services to persons with disabilities
• Military recruitment centers
• Area Agencies on Aging
• Centers for Independent Living
• County Mental Health and Intellectual Disability office
• Student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education
• Office of Special Education
• DA Complementary Paratransit offices
• Any agency that uses the COMPASS application

Register to vote by mail in Pennsylvania

If all else fails, you can mail in your voter registration application into your county elections office. 

Download the form here, print it out, fill it out and mail it to your county's elections office. The application lists each county's office, including their addresses.

The application even lets you draw a little map to show where postal workers should deliver the ballot.

Pennsylvania voter registration deadline

Whether you're registering online, in person or through the mail, you have until Oct. 19 to register for the 2026 midterm election.

How to vote in Pennsylvania

Local perspective:

Pennsylvanians have plenty of options to cast their ballots in the midterms, in person and by mail.

Does Pennsylvania have early voting?

Pennsylvania does not have what we typically think of when we talk about early voting. The state doesn't open polling locations ahead of Nov. 3. But, Pennsylvanians can effectively vote early thanks to "on-demand mail ballot voting."

In Pennsylvania, one of the many ways you can apply for a mail-in ballot, is by walking into your local elections office. Because that office is the same place where you'll need to deliver your ballot anyway, you can fill out your ballot and submit it right then in there: one-stop shopping.

As of this writing, mail-in ballots aren't ready in every county. You can check which counties are currently doing on-demand voting and which counties have mailed out their ballots online here.

Vote by mail in Pennsylvania

If you decide to take your ballot home with you after picking it up at an elections office, or are getting it through the mail, there are several ways you can return your completed ballot. 

You can return your ballot to your local county elections office through the mail, of course. But, you can also hand-deliver it, either to the elections office, a satellite office, or to a ballot drop box. The State Department has a full list of all of these locations, grouped by county.

If you're in Philadelphia, you can find the office or drop box closest to you using the map at vote.phila.gov/ballot-drop-off.

Regardless of how you turn in your ballot, your county election board needs to receive it by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Voting on Election Day in Pennsylvania 

Finally, you can vote, as always, at your local polling location on Election Day.

If you don't know where that is, you can look it up on the Pennsylvania Voter Services website here. Just put in your address. You can use the same site to find directions from your home to your polling location.

If you've never voted in person before, the state has videos of the systems used in each county, so you can help prepare yourself for what to expect come Election Day.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. As long as you're in line by 8 p.m., you'll be able to cast your vote.

Pennsylvania 2026 election deadlines

Why you should care:

Here are the most important dates for Pennsylvanians to remember for the upcoming election:

• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 19
• Mail-in ballot application deadline: Oct. 27
• On-demand mail ballot voting: until Oct. 27
• Ballot return deadline: The county elections office must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3
• Election Day: Nov. 3