[VT – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, November 3, 2025] The Pennsylvania Department of State has reminded voters across the Commonwealth to prepare for the upcoming municipal election. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt encouraged voters planning to vote in person to review comprehensive voter information available at vote.pa.gov.
Secretary Schmidt noted that unofficial results from the Commonwealth’s 67 counties will be posted after the polls close on the Department of State’s election results website electionreturns.pa.gov. The site provides totals and county-by-county breakdowns for statewide contests, including judicial retention races.
“Municipal elections like this year’s are important because this is when voters choose local officials who make decisions affecting their daily lives,” Schmidt said. “The Department of State wants to ensure that every registered voter can safely and securely make their voice heard.”
Schmidt reminded Pennsylvania voters of the following:
- Polls will be open statewide from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any voter in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballot.
- All completed mail ballots must be returned to the county elections board by 8 p.m. to be counted.
Schmidt also outlined voter rights at the polls:
- Voters who requested a mail ballot but decide to vote in person may surrender their ballot materials, including the outer envelope, at their polling place and vote. If a voter has lost or not received their mail ballot, they may vote using a provisional ballot.
- First-time voters, or those voting for the first time in a new precinct, must show valid identification; both photo and non-photo IDs are acceptable.
- If a voter’s name is not listed in the poll book, poll workers may contact the county board of elections to verify registration in another precinct. Registered voters at the wrong polling place should go to the correct polling place; voters who believe they are registered in that precinct may vote using a provisional ballot.
- Voters who have moved within Pennsylvania but did not update their address before the election may vote in their previous precinct, provided they update their address at the polling place.
- Voters whose mail ballots may not be counted due to an error, such as a missing signature or secrecy envelope, may vote using a provisional ballot.
- In cases of unexpected illness, disability, or last-minute absence from their municipality, voters may request an emergency absentee ballot. The deadline to submit the application and ballot to the county elections office is 8 p.m. on Election Day.
- Voters have the right to language or literacy assistance at the polling place. They may select any assistant who is not their employer, union representative, or the polling place Judge of Elections. Voters also have the right to privacy while voting.
- Voters have the right to vote free from intimidation, harassment, or discriminatory conduct. Incidents should be reported to the county board of elections or district attorney’s office, or to the Department of State’s year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).
Schmidt encouraged Pennsylvania voters to use the Department of State’s voter education toolkit, available in English, Spanish, and Chinese, to learn more about the municipal election.
