VOTER GUIDE: Pennsylvania Primary Election 2022
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Pennsylvania voters will head to the polls Tuesday, May 17, to cast their ballots in the 2022 Primary Election. Here's everything you need to know:
Where can I find the election results?
Election results are posted on the election overview pages, as well as the relevant candidate pages. You can also view results in the links below:
Pennsylvania Governor
US Senate
US House
State Senate District 5 Special Election
Pennsylvania House GOP
Pennsylvania House Democratic
Pennsylvania State Senate
What's on the ballot?
- The two big races we are watching are for Pennsylvania governor and the state's U.S. Senate seat.
- In the gubernatorial race, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is the lone Democrat. Meanwhile, nine Republicans are on the ballot: Lou Barletta, Jake Corman III, Joe Gale, Charlie Gerow, Melissa Hart, Doug Mastriano, Bill McSwain, David White, and Nche Zama.
- Running for the senate seat on the Democratic side are: John Fetterman, Malcolm Kenyatta, Alexandria Khalil and Conor Lamb. On the Republican side are: Kathy Barnette, Jeff Bartos, George Bochetto, Sean Gale, David McCormick, Mehmet Oz and Carla Sands. Check out our Pennsylvania Senate Primary Guide for more.
- To view a sample ballot and questions based on your address, click here.
What time do the polls open?
- Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Where is my polling place?
You can locate your polling place by typing your county of residence, city, street name, house number, and zip code, here.
How do I check my registration status?
You can check on the Department of State website by searching by name, driver's license number or with your PennDOT ID.
How do I register to vote?
There are four ways to register to vote:
- online
- by mail (download the PA Voter Registration Application)
- in person at your county voter registration office. Find your county registration office, here.
- at PennDOT and some other government agencies. Find a PennDOT location near you.
How do I request an absentee or main-in ballot?
- Any qualified voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. You can request this ballot without a reason. If you plan to be out of the municipality on Election Day or if you have a disability or illness that prevents you from going to your polling place on Election Day, you can request an absentee ballot - which requires you to list a reason for your ballot. To request an absentee or mail-in ballot, click here.
- Mail-in ballots must be received by your county election office by 8 p.m., May 17. If you have an emergency (such as an unexpected illness or disability or last-minute absence from your municipality) you may still be able to get a ballot after the deadline. Find information about how to get an emergency absentee ballot.
- You can hand-deliver your ballot before 8 p.m. on Primary Election Day to your county election office or other officially designated site. Some counties are providing drop-boxes for mail ballots. For a list of all the ballot return and satellite locations, click here.
- If you already submitted a mail-in or absentee ballot, you cannot vote at your polling place on Election Day.
- If you did not return your mail-in or absentee ballot and you want to vote in person, you have two options:
- Bring your ballot and the pre-addressed outer return envelope to your polling place to be voided. After you surrender your ballot and envelope and sign a declaration, you can then vote a regular ballot.
- If you don't surrender your ballot and return envelope, you can only vote by provisional ballot at your polling place. Your county board of elections will then verify that you did not vote by mail before counting your provisional ballot.
How to become a poll worker?
- If you are interested in becoming a poll worker, fill out this form.
- After you submit the form, your county's election office will contact you.
- You may reach out to the election office to follow up. You can find the contact information on the Contact Your Election Officials page.
For more information on poll worker positions and requirements, click here.
Deadlines:
- May 2: Last day to REGISTER before the primary
- May 10: Last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot
- May 17: Last day for County Board of Elections to receive voted mail-in and civilian absentee ballots (must be received by 8 p.m.)
More about voting at the polls:
- If you are eligible to vote on a regular ballot, you will either hand mark a paper ballot or vote using a ballot marking device. All Pennsylvania voting systems have been updated since 2018, and the voting systems are different from one county to another. Learn about your county's voting system.
- If you are not eligible to vote a regular ballot, you may be provided a provisional ballot. Learn about provisional ballots.
- If you encounter an issue at the polls, you can submit a formal complaint to your county board of elections and/or district attorney for investigation here.
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