Pennsylvania voters are gearing up for the 2026 general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with statewide and local races set to shape leadership in Harrisburg and Washington. Ballots will feature contests for governor, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and the U.S. House, while residents in specific regions will also vote on state Senate seats and local ballot questions.
Polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any voter standing in line by 8 p.m. is legally entitled to cast a ballot.
For those not yet registered, the final day to register to vote is Oct. 19. Applications can be submitted online, in person, or through the mail to a county election office by that date. Residents can verify their registration status, check polling locations, and review party affiliations online using state databases.
Voters registered as independents or with third parties are eligible to vote in the Nov. 3 election. Citizens wishing to change their party affiliation must submit a voter registration form indicating the change by Oct. 19; requests submitted less than 15 days before the election will take effect for the following cycle.
First-time voters, as well as those voting after a recent address change, must bring proof of identification to the polls. Accepted forms of identification include government-issued IDs such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport, utility bills or bank statements displaying the voter’s name and address, and U.S. military or student IDs.
For voters choosing to vote prior to Election Day, mail-in and absentee ballot applications are available online and through county election offices. The deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot is Oct. 27 at 5 p.m., and completed applications must be received by the county office by that time. While mail-in ballots require no specific justification, absentee ballot applications require voters to state a reason for their absence.
Voters who miss the Oct. 27 deadline due to an unexpected illness, disability, or last-minute absence may apply for an emergency absentee ballot through their county election office. Completed mail-in and absentee ballots must be returned to county election offices or designated drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks are not accepted. Voters with a disability who cannot return their own ballot may designate an agent using a specific authorization form.
At the top of the ballot, the gubernatorial race features incumbent Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro seeking a second term. Shapiro, elected in 2022, oversees state agencies managing education, human services, and corrections, and holds executive budget-making and veto powers. He is challenged by Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a decorated military veteran and manufacturing professional serving her second term as treasurer. Libertarian candidate Ken Krawchuk, an IT consulting firm founder, is also running on a platform emphasizing school privatization, the elimination of property taxes, and expanded voter ID rules.
The legislative branch is also on the ballot. The Pennsylvania General Assembly consists of a 203-member state House and a 50-member state Senate. All state House seats and even-numbered state Senate districts are up for election. Additionally, Pennsylvania’s 17 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be contested for two-year terms.
While no statewide ballot measures appear on the 2026 ballot, certain municipalities, including Philadelphia and Allegheny County, feature local referendum questions. Voters are encouraged to check sample ballots via their county election websites for district-specific details.
