Tuesday, May 17 is Primary Day in Pennsylvania

Voted mail ballots must be returned by 8pm Tuesday – emergency absentee ballots are still available 

Pennsylvania’s General Primary and a special election for the 5th Senatorial District will be held on Tuesday, May 17. 

Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm. Polling place locations and other information about voting in person on election day is available at https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Voting-at-a-Polling-Place.aspx.

If an emergency situation prevents voters from going to their polling places, voters can request an Emergency Absentee Ballot. Voters may also authorize someone to pick up and return their emergency absentee ballots. More information is available at https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx#emergency%20absentee 

All mail and absentee ballots must be received by the county election board before 8 pm on election day, May 17. A list of ballot return sites is available at https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Return-Ballot.aspx.

Voters who have questions or problems can contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. Started in the wake of the 2000 presidential election, the program is now run by a nonpartisan coalition of more than 100 organizations. It has more than 40,000 volunteers nationwide, including more than 2,000 in Pennsylvania. Hotline assistance is also available in Spanish at 888-VE-Y-VOTA; in Asian languages at 888-API-VOTE; and in Arabic at 844-YALLA-US.

Nonpartisan election protection volunteers will be at select polling locations to assist voters in person on May 17.

Voters with disabilities or language difficulties may bring a person of their choice with them to assist in the voting process, so long as the assister is not: an election judge, their employer, or their union representative.

Some voters with disabilities have the right to designate a third party to deliver their mail ballots. More information about accessible voting is available at https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Accessible-Voting.aspx.  

Both Military and overseas (UOCAVA) ballots must be mailed by May 16 and received by the county board of elections by May 24 to be counted.

Statement of Common Cause Pennsylvania Executive Director Khalif Ali

Pennsylvania’s voters have heard a lot of disinformation and political rhetoric lately. We owe it to each other to vote in this election, anyway.

Regardless of whether you call it a ‘republic’ or a ‘democracy’ – our government can’t be representative unless we all vote.  

Low voter turnout silences the people and allows partisan special interests to have more power. This year, we need the people’s voice to be louder than the disinformation – and we need the people’s voice to be heard in both primaries. 

Any voter who needs assistance can call or text the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. The nonpartisan Election Protection program has been helping voters for more than two decades – and voters should take advantage of that expertise, regardless of what primary you’re voting in.   

There’s a lot of money being made, pushing the idea that there’s something wrong with our elections. Pennsylvania’s voters shouldn’t fall for the grift. Whoever you’re planning to vote for – please just make sure you vote.