Pennsylvania Primary Election Guide 2021: What You Need To Know

PENNSYLVANIA — With the unprecedented chaos and intrigue of the 2020 election season lingering well into 2021, it seems surreal that the next election season is already upon us in Pennsylvania. But it is: the primaries are just around the corner.

In Pennsylvania primaries, voters can only vote for candidates in the party in which they're registered.

“Whichever secure voting method you choose, the most important thing is to vote and let your voice be heard,” Pennsylvania Secretary of State Veronica Degraffenreid said in a statement.“Municipal elections affect the daily life of every voter because local officials make taxation, zoning, road maintenance, school curriculum and many other important decisions.”

Here's all you need to know about the upcoming election:

The basics

• Primary election date: May 18
• Voter registration deadline: May 3
• Deadline to request mail-in ballot: 5 p.m. May 11
• Deadline to return mail-in ballot: 8 p.m. on May 18
• First day to register after primary: May 19
• General election date: Nov. 3

What's on the ballot?

A wide array of municipal races are on the ballot in towns across Pennsylvania. These range from school board directors and tax collectors to township commissioners and judges.

To find details on races in your municipality, you can find a sample ballot for the primary via your county's Board of Elections. Ballotpedia also offers a sample ballot look-up tool.

There are also four questions on the ballot for voters to answer, including three proposed constitutional amendments.

If you're voting by mail

Voting by mail is available to all Pennsylvania voters prior to Election Day. As noted above, the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is May 11.

To apply for a mail-in ballot, see the Pennsylvania Department of State page here.

If you still haven't received your ballot and Election Day arrives, you can also vote via a provisional ballot at the polls. The provisional ballot will become your official vote once elections officials determine they have not received your mail-in ballot.

“Voters who wish to vote by mail ballot should apply now so that they will receive their ballot from their county as soon as it is available. Then they can fill it out and return it well before Election Day,”Degraffenreid said. "This is a secure, convenient and accessible voting option that allows eligible Pennsylvanians to vote in the privacy of their own home."

According to state officials, more than 597,000 voters already have applied for mail-in ballots for the 2021 primary election, and another 19,000 voters applied for absentee ballots, as of April 13.

Voting in-person

Polls will be open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you're planning on voting in-person and are not sure where to go to vote, you can find your polling place here.

Voter rights

If you are heading in-person to a polling place, it's important to know your rights, and what is and is not legal in your encounters with poll workers.

You are not required to show identification, according to Pennsylvania law, unless you have never voted at that precinct in the past.

Only voters who have never voted at that precinct before are required to show identification, according to Pennsylvania law. That identification does not have to be photo identification, but it must contain your name and address.

Just because your name is not in the poll book, does not mean you are not registered to vote, according to a release from Gov. Wolf's office. Voting officials should call the county board of elections to confirm your status.

For those who may have limited English language proficiency, the law stipulates that you may bring another individual with you into the voting booth to help out casting your vote.

Finally, aside from wearing a mask and staying six feet away from other voters, you can also minimize risk by voting early to avoid long lines to vote.