Pennsylvania elections, 2016
Welcome to the Pennsylvania elections portal for 2016. Scroll down for information about what was on the ballot, election dates, voting, and more. Pennsylvania saw elections for the offices listed below in 2016. Click the links to navigate to Ballotpedia's overview pages for each of these elections, where you will find background, candidate lists, dates, analysis, and more.
Election results
As a result of the 2016 election, the state government of Pennsylvania maintained divided partisan control. With a Democratic governor, Republicans maintained control of the state Senate with 34 seats to Democrats' 16 seats. Republicans maintained control of the state House with 123 seats to Democrats' 80 seats.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) identified the Pennsylvania State Senate and House of Representatives as targets in the 2016 elections.
Pennsylvania has two U.S. Senate seats and 18 U.S. House seats. Incumbent Republican Pat Toomey won re-election to the U.S. Senate in a competitive battleground race. The U.S. Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Scalia's death in early 2016 highlighted the importance of this race due to the impact that the Senate's partisan balance would have on confirming a replacement. All of the U.S. House seats were also up for election in November. Republicans won 13 of the state's seats to the U.S. House, and Democrats won five. Pennsylvania's 8th U.S. House district election was expected to be among the most competitive congressional elections in the country.
Two statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 2016. Both were approved.
Donald Trump won Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes in the 2016 general election for president. Barack Obama carried Pennsylvania in both the 2008 and 2012 general elections for president. See also: Presidential election in Pennsylvania, 2016.
Voting
| Dates | |
|---|---|
| Presidential primary dates | |
| Pennsylvania election dates | |
| 4/26/2016 | State and presidential primary |
| 11/8/2016 | General election (nationwide) |
| Ballot access dates | |
| 2/16/2016 | Last day to file nomination petitions for the primary election |
| 8/1/2016 | Last day to file nomination petitions for the general election |
Find answers to common questions about voting in Pennsylvania below.
- How do I register to vote?
- Is there an early voting period?
- Who is eligible for absentee voting?
- What are the voter ID laws in Pennsylvania?
- What time were the polls open?
General information about voting or getting on the ballot is provided at the following links.
Official elections page: Pennsylvania Department of State
Primary election
See Primary elections in Pennsylvania.
Elections to watch
- United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2016
- Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District election, 2016
- Pennsylvania Attorney General election, 2016
What makes an election notable?
History
Presidential Voting Pattern
The percentages below show Pennsylvania voter preference in general election presidential races from 2000 to 2012.[1]
For more information, see: Presidential voting trends in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania vote percentages
|
U.S. vote percentages
|
See also
Footnotes
Ballotpedia uses these criteria to identify notable elections:
- Incumbents facing more conservative or liberal challengers
- Rematches between candidates
- Elections that receive considerable media attention
- Elections that could significantly affect the state's partisan balance
- Noteworthy elections involving party leaders
- Open, competitive elections with Republican and Democratic primaries
- Elections that capture money and attention from outside groups, including key endorsements
