Voting, Step By Step
25 Pa.C.S. 1301 — 18 by the next election, a citizen for one month, and 30 days in the district
Who may register. An individual who will be at least 18 years of age on the day of the next election, has been a citizen of the United States for at least one month before it, and has resided in the Commonwealth and the election district for at least 30 days before it is eligible to register.
Registered once. No individual may vote at an election without being registered, except as provided by law or by court order. A registered elector is not required to register again while continuing to reside at the same address.
- In person, before the commission or at a place it designates.
- With an application for a driver's license.
- By mail, on the official mail registration application.
- At a government agency office that provides public assistance or disability services, a marriage license bureau, or an armed forces recruitment center.
Those are the four methods the code lists. An applicant signs the registration declaration, and an intentional false statement on the application is perjury.
The decision. The county commission examines each application. A rejection is indicated on the application with its reasons, and the applicant is notified of it by first class nonforwardable mail. A rejection is made no later than ten days before the election that follows the filing.
The card. An accepted applicant is mailed a wallet-sized voter's identification card, which serves as notice of acceptance. The card states that the individual must notify the commission within ten days from the date it was mailed if any information on it is incorrect.
The registration deadline, eligibility after a felony conviction, and the rules at the polls are not on this page. A particular registration is a question for the county board of elections, or a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.
Sources for this section (6)
- 25 Pa.C.S. 1301 — Qualifications to register
- 25 Pa.C.S. 1321 — Methods of voter registration
- 25 Pa.C.S. 1322 — In-person voter registration
- 25 Pa.C.S. 1324 — Application by mail
- 25 Pa.C.S. 1325 — Government agencies
- 25 Pa.C.S. 1328 — Approval of registration applications
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.