Pennsylvania elections, 2023
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Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content.
This page provides information on the 2023 elections in Pennsylvania, including the offices on the ballot covered by Ballotpedia, election dates, and frequently asked questions.
Election dates
Statewide election dates in Pennsylvania are listed below. For more dates, please see the elections calendar.
Statewide election dates
May 16, 2023: Primary
November 7, 2023: General election
Offices on the ballot
| Pennsylvania elections, 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Elections? | More information |
| U.S. Senate | — | — |
| U.S. House | — | — |
| Congress special election | — | — |
| Governor | — | — |
| Other state executive | — | — |
| State Senate | — | — |
| State House | — | — |
| Special state legislative | ✓ | Click here |
| State Supreme Court | ✓ | Click here |
| Intermediate appellate courts | ✓ | Click here |
| School boards | ✓ | Click here |
| Municipal government | ✓ | Click here |
| Recalls | — | — |
| Ballot measures | — | — |
| Local ballot measures | ✓ | Click here |
Legend: ✓ election(s) / — no elections
Subject to Ballotpedia's scope
Noteworthy elections
Below is a list of races in this state that received in-depth coverage on Ballotpedia. Click the link below to learn about that race.
- Central Bucks School District, Pennsylvania, elections (2023)
- Pennridge School District, Pennsylvania, elections (2023)
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives special elections (February 7, 2023)
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives special elections (May 16, 2023)
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections, 2023
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections, 2023 (May 16, 2023, Republican primary)
Frequently asked questions
When are the polls open?
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.[1]
See State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2023) for more information
Where can I find election results?
Election results are posted on Ballotpedia's election overview pages, as well as the relevant candidate pages. You can find links to the current election overview pages in the "Offices on the ballot" section of this page.
How do primaries work in Pennsylvania?
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Pennsylvania utilizes a closed primary process. Voters are required to register with a political party to vote in the primary election.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
How do I register to vote?
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Pennsylvania, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next election, a resident of the district in which he or she is registering for at least 30 days before the next election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.[4] The deadline for registering to vote is 15 days before the election.[4] Registration can be done online, in person, or by mail. Prospective voters can register in person at the county voter registration office or at a number of state agencies, including Pennsylvania Department of Transportation centers. The Pennsylvania voter registration application is available online and can be mailed to the county voter registration office.[5] On September 19, 2023, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced that the state had implemented automatic voter registration.[6]
Is there an early voting period?
- See also: Early voting
Pennsylvania voters can cast mail ballots in person. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State's Office of Communications and Press, "Once a county’s ballots are finalized and printed, a registered voter can apply for their mail ballot in person at their county election office, complete it, then submit it all in one visit. Voters should check their county's website to see when they have final ballots available and what hours their election office is open."[7] For more information, visit this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Who is eligible for absentee voting?
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Pennsylvania's 2024 election cycle.
Beginning with the April 28, 2020, primary election, all Pennsylvania voters are eligible to cast absentee ballots. The change came about as a result of SB421, an omnibus election law bill which Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) signed into law on October 31, 2019.[8][9]
What are the voter ID laws in Pennsylvania?
See Voter identification laws by state.
How do I file to run for office?
See Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Pennsylvania for information on how to run for state or federal office.
What does Ballotpedia cover?
Ballotpedia's coverage extends to all elections on the federal level, all gubernatorial, state legislative, statewide ballot measure, and statewide judicial elections, as well as many other types of state executive offices. Ballotpedia also covers all elections in the U.S. territories, but not elections in other countries.
Local election coverage includes comprehensive ballot coverage for municipal and judicial elections in the top 100 cities by population and races for the large counties that overlap them. In the state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities, it includes coverage of mayoral, city council, and district attorney elections. It also includes school board elections in the top 200 largest school districts by enrollment, all California local ballot measures, and notable local ballot measures from across the nation.
Please note that Ballotpedia's election coverage does not encompass all local offices. Election information is not published in a timely manner for many local offices, which makes it infeasible to gather the necessary data given our limited resources. However, Ballotpedia's coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot tool to see what local elections we are covering in your area.
How do I contact Ballotpedia with a question?
Email us at [email protected].
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Redistricting following the 2020 census
This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.
- March 7, 2022: The United States Supreme Court declined to block Pennsylvania's congressional map (Toth v. Chapman).
- February 28, 2022: An emergency filing was filed before the United States Supreme Court challenging the enacted congressional map (Toth v. Chapman).
- February 23, 2022: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled to enact a new congressional map.
- February 4, 2022: The Legislative Reapportionment Commission approved new legislative maps.
- February 2, 2022: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that it would have control over the process to select a new congressional map.
- January 31, 2022: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court halted a lower court's consideration of the map proposals so it could rule on which court should select the map.
- January 15, 2022: Gov. Tom Wolf (D) vetoed the congressional map bill, meaning authority for selecting a congressional map was transferred to a Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court.
- January 24, 2022: The Pennsylvania State Senate voted to approve a new congressional map.
- January 15, 2022: Gov. Tom Wolf (D) released a congressional redistricting proposal.
- January 12, 2022: The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to approve a new congressional map.
- December 16, 2021: The Legislative Reapportionment Commission approved and released legislative draft maps.
- December 8, 2021: Rep. Seth Grove (R), chairman of the House State Government Committee, released the committee's first congressional redistricting proposal.
- September 16, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau released data from the 2020 census in an easier-to-use format to state redistricting authorities and the public.
- August 12, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau delivered redistricting data to states in a legacy format.
- April 26, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau delivered apportionment counts.
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania.gov, "When are the polls open on Election Day?", accessed December 2, 2022
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed September 24, 2024
- ↑ Casetext, "25 Pa. Stat. § 299," accessed September 24, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Department of State, “Voter Registration Application,” accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ Department of State, “Contact Your Election Officials,” accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure," September 19, 2023
- ↑ Janie Valentine, "Email communication with Amy Gulli," September 10, 2024
- ↑ PennLive, "Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf signs historic election reform bill into law," October 31, 2019
- ↑ Pennsylvania.gov, “Voting in Pennsylvania,” accessed October 1, 2019
