Voter Registration and Key Dates

On Tuesday, November 5, voters across the United States will vote in the 2024 General Election. What does your election voting plan look like?

Be sure to dedicate time today to check your voter registration status, review what options you have to cast your vote, and create your personal voting timeline ahead of time.

Key Election Dates

October 21, 2024 – Last day to register to vote before the November 5 election.
October 29, 2024 – Last day to apply for Absentee or Mail in Ballot. Applications must be received by 5 p.m.
November 5, 2024 – Last day to return Mail In or Absentee Ballots. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m.

Register to Vote

Pennsylvania residents can complete a voter registration application online or via mail. The deadline to register to vote is Monday, October 21. Registration applications must be received by 5 p.m. in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election. If you are not registered, register now by completing the Voter Registration Application.

If you are uncertain of your registration status, check it using the Pennsylvania Department of State Voter Registration Status Tool.

Voter Registration Applications are also available in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Apply for a Mail-In or Absentee Ballot

If you plan to vote using an absentee or mail-in ballot in the 2024 General Election, a completed application must be received in the county office by 5 p.m. on October 29.

Mail-in and absentee ballot applications are available in English, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.

Note that the deadline to return voted absentee or mail-in ballots is 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5.

First Time Voters

A first-time or newly registered voter will be noted as such in the poll book and will be asked to show an approved form of identification.

Visit the Pennsylvania Voter Services website for all of your voting information questions.

Find Your Polling Place

Not sure where to vote? Use the Pennsylvania Department of State Polling Place Search Tool to locate your polling place for election day.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any person in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Contrary to some media reports, early voting does not start in Pennsylvania on Sept. 16. However, mail-in ballots will begin to be sent out in late September or early October, depending on the county in which you reside.

County Elections Offices

If have questions about your registration status, polling place, or the November 5 election, contact your county election office.

Ballot Return Sites and Satellite Offices

The Allegheny County Board of Elections has approved plans for ballot return sites and satellite offices for the election.

Ballot return sites are staffed locations where voters who received a ballot in the mail can return them in-person to a county employee. They will be open the seven days before Election Day, including the weekend of Nov. 2 and 3 and Monday, Nov. 4.

Satellite offices will offer a fuller range of services. Residents can register to vote, request a mail-in ballot, complete, and return it all on the spot. The deadline to register to vote is 5 p.m. on Oct. 21 and the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is 5 p.m. on Oct. 29.

Satellite offices include:

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall Auditorium (4141 Fifth Avenue) – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 15, 16, and 17
Community College of Allegheny County – Homewood (701 N. Homewood Avenue) – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 19, 20, 26, and 27
North Park Ice Rink (1200 Pearce Mill Road, Wexford) – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 19, 20, 26, and 27
South Park Ice Rink (30 Corrigan Drive, Bethel Park) – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 19, 20, 26, and 27
County Office Building (542 Forbes Avenue) – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 19, 20, 26, and 27

Ballot return sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 29 and Nov. 1 and 4, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 2 and 3. These include:

Allegheny County Emergency Services Building (150 Hookstown Grade Road, Coraopolis)
Boyce Park Four Seasons Lodge (901 Centerview Drive, Plum)
Carnegie Public Library – Squirrel Hill (5801 Forbes Avenue)
North Park Ice Rink (1200 Pearce Mill Road, Wexford)
South Park Ice Rink (30 Corrigan Drive, Bethel Park)
Dormont Pool (1801 Dormont Avenue)
Community College of Allegheny County – Homewood (701 N. Homewood Avenue)
Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank (1 N. Linden Street, Duquesne)
Avalon Public Library (317 S. Home Avenue)

The County Office Building lobby will hold regular business hours – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday – as soon as ballots are available to voters for over-the-counter and return mail-in ballots. Voters will be able to return mail-in ballots in person at the County Office Building at the Ross Street entrance on weekdays starting on Oct. 29 through Nov. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 5).

Other Resources

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has launched its own election web page.

The page cites challenges facing the early learning sector and calls for the importance of early childhood education and educators to be prioritized in the 2024 election. The website includes information on registering to vote, who is on the ballot, rules for voting in specific states, and checking registration status.

And the Children First Action Fund is operating a Child Care Voter page. This resource aims to ensure that quality child care for Pennsylvania families and children are emphasized in Harrisburg and Congress. The website lists attributes that would make someone a child care voter – such as dependence on child care to support a family, caring about access to high-quality pre-k, and a desire to invest in and expand access to infant and toddler care.

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