(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s primary election is less than one month away, but those who want to participate have until 5 p.m. Monday to register to vote.
“Registering to vote only takes a few minutes, and I urge every eligible Pennsylvanian who is not yet registered to visit vote.pa.gov and start the process,” Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said last week. “Participate in our democracy and let your voice be heard.”
Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, meaning only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in their party’s primary. However, all registered voters in Pennsylvania can vote on any local ballot question. The Department of State notes that all registered voters are also able to participate in any special election that coincides with the primary election date, such as those living in York County’s 196th House District where an open seat is up for grabs.
Registered Democrats and Republicans will be able to cast a ballot for their parties’ nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. House of Representatives, even-numbered state Senate districts, and all state House Districts, as well as Democratic and Republican state committees in the primary election.
The statewide election expected to garner the most attention is for the governor’s mansion. Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is seeking a second term, will be the only Democratic candidate on the primary ballot. State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is running for the Republican Party nomination for governor, is also unopposed.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is the only Democrat who filed to run in the lieutenant governor’s race. Two Republicans, Jason Richey and John Ventre, are vying for the Republican Party nomination for lieutenant governor next month.
Several U.S. House races in Pennsylvania are expected to see increased scrutiny as control of Congress is on the line. The narrow margins between Democrats and Republicans in the state House and Senate will also likely put a few races in the spotlight in 2026.
The Department of State’s candidate database lists candidates who are running for office.
To be eligible to register to vote in the primary election, a person must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the primary, a resident of the election district in which the person plans to register for at least 30 days before the primary, and at least 18 years old on or before May 19.
In addition to Pennsylvania encouraging the use of the Department of State’s online voter registration site, Pennsylvanians can receive an application to register to vote at:
their county voter registration office,county assistance offices,Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program offices,Armed Forces recruitment centers,county clerk of orphans’ courts or marriage license offices,area agencies on aging,county mental health and intellectual disabilities offices,student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education, andAmericans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers.
Regardless of which method eligible Pennsylvanians use to register, county election offices must receive their voter registration application by close of business May 4, the Department of State said.
Pennsylvanians who are already registered to vote can use the Department of State’s online voter registration site to update their name, address, or party affiliation.
Over the past several years, Republicans have made significant gains into the Democratic Party’s voter registration advantage in the state.
In the 2023 November election, there were 446,566 more voters registered with the Democratic Party over the Republican Party. By the time of the 2024 general election, the gap between the two had narrowed to 286,283.
For the 2025 primary election, the Democratic Party’s voter registration advantage dwindled even further to 178,070. Republicans continued to narrowly cut into that lead last year with Democrats entering the November general election with 170,485 more registered voters.
However, it appears that the trend is slowly reversing. As of April 27, registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a 185,192 margin.
Roughly 1.4 million residents are registered unaffiliated and can’t vote on either ticket.
Although May 4 is the final day to register to vote for the 2026 primary election in Pennsylvania, voters have until May 12 to apply for a mail ballot. Registered voters can request a mail ballot and vote from their home or their county elections office, or they can vote at the polls on Election Day, Schmidt said.
The deadline for county elections offices to receive completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. on Primary Election Day, May 19.
“Your vote is valuable, regardless of how you choose to cast it, and I encourage you to exercise your constitutional right by voting in this election,” Schmidt said.
