HARRISBURG — Whether you cast your ballot in person or by mail on Nov. 5, you want to make sure your vote counts.
The best way to do that is to know your rights.
Here are key state and federal protections for Pennsylvania voters, covering everything from prior criminal convictions, to getting a provisional ballot, to dealing with disruptions at a polling place.
If you’re in line by 8 p.m., you have the right to cast your ballot
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in line by the time the polls close at 8 p.m., you have the right to vote.
You have the right to vote without being intimidated
Voter intimidation is illegal under both state and federal law, and these laws also protect election workers. If you believe someone is trying to intimidate you at the polls, you have recourse.
Intimidation includes explicit physical or verbal threats, interrogation, and being photographed or recorded. A fuller list of intimidation tactics covered under the law is on the state’s website.
If you are subjected to intimidation, or if you witness it, you should report it to your county election office, either online or by finding the phone number for your county board of elections. You can also call the Pennsylvania Department of State's voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).
Once complaints are received, the Office of Attorney General can investigate and prosecute voter intimidation.
Many Pa. voters do not need to present ID at the polls
Different states have different rules around voter identification.
In Pennsylvania, only first-time voters at a given polling location need to present ID (that’s a federal law). If you have voted at your polling place before, you do not need to show ID in order to vote.
If it’s your first time voting at your polling place, you will need ID. This identification can include a state-issued driver’s license or ID card, passport, or some other document that includes both the name and address that matches your voter registration. A full list of acceptable IDs is available on the state’s website.
If you are told you’re required to present ID but do not have it, you can either go home, get ID, and return to the polling place, or you can cast a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is used when poll workers have questions about a voter’s eligibility.
Anyone can request a provisional ballot. You will fill out, seal, sign, and date the ballot in your polling place, turn it over to the poll workers, and receive a receipt.
Provisional ballots will be tabulated after county workers finish counting all other ballots, and they will pay special attention to making sure you are eligible to vote. This includes confirming that you haven’t voted already, that you live in Pennsylvania, and that you are properly registered to vote. In very close elections, results can come down to these ballots.
You can see whether your provisional ballot was accepted by visiting the state’s website, which has a ballot search function. You will need your provisional ballot identification number, which will be on the receipt you got at your polling place.
You have the right to assistance at your polling place
If you are a voter who requires assistance, you have the right to bring someone of your choice to help you, as long as they are not your employer, union representative, or a judge of elections. Voters eligible for assistance include those who need translation in a language other than English, literary assistance, and more.
If it is your first time receiving assistance, you may be required to complete a declaration (available in 10 different languages), but voters do not need to be designated as "assistance permitted" in the pollbook to receive help.
You also have the right to refuse assistance.
You have the right to accessible voting if you have a disability
In Pennsylvania, every polling place must have at least one accessible voting system. Depending on your polling location, this may be the same machine that is used by all voters, or it may be a different machine with special features such as audio, tactile keys, and other assistive technology. You can look up the accessible voting system in your county in advance.
You can also look up your polling location here to make sure the building itself will be accessible. If you are not able to access your polling location, you have the right to vote via an alternative ballot until polls close.
If you changed your mind about voting by mail, you have options
If you applied for a mail ballot but, for whatever reason, no longer wish to vote using it, you have options.
If you have the mail ballot and both of its envelopes on hand, you can bring it to your assigned polling place, ask a poll worker to “spoil” it, and then you will be permitted to vote in person normally.
If you lost or did not receive your mail ballot, you can still go to your polling place to cast a ballot, but instead of voting normally, you will be instructed to fill out a provisional ballot.
If you decide to complete your mail ballot, drop it off at your county election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Every county election office has different hours of operation, so make sure to double check the hours ahead of time. Many counties also have satellite offices or drop boxes where ballots can be returned. You can find a list of dropoff locations and hours here.
Do not mail your ballot at this point. It must be received by your county by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Told you can’t vote, but think that’s wrong? You have rights
You’ve arrived at what you think is your polling place, and the workers are telling you your name isn’t in the pollbook.
First, make sure the worker has the right spelling and that you are in fact at the right polling place for your address (sometimes they move). You can find your correct polling place using this Department of State tool.
If you still are not permitted to cast a ballot, you can request a provisional ballot. Once you cast one, county workers will receive the ballot and scrutinize whether you are eligible. If it turns out that you are, your vote will be counted.
You can often vote with a criminal conviction
The only criminal record that will keep you from voting in Pennsylvania is a conviction for violating the Pennsylvania Election Code within the past four years, or a conviction for a felony for which you are still incarcerated.
If you are on probation or parole in Pennsylvania, you are permitted to vote. You can also vote if you have a previous felony conviction but are no longer incarcerated.
If you are in jail awaiting trial, incarcerated for a misdemeanor, under house arrest, or living in a halfway house, you can vote only by absentee ballot (if you’re in a halfway house, you must use a previous or future address).
The deadline to apply for a mail ballot has passed, as has the deadline to register to vote.
You can find more information on voting with a record via the Department of State and the ACLU of Pennsylvania.
