BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s primary election is Tuesday.
Registered voters will cast ballots for a multitude of local offices, including county executive, mayors, councils and judges at the state, county and local levels.
Because Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, voters are only able to cast ballots for candidates in their own political party.
That means a couple of things. First, residents who aren’t registered as a Democrat or Republican have to sit this one out. Sorry, independents and others.
Also, candidates who win their party’s nomination with Tuesday’s results will then appear on the general election ballot in November.
Who’s running?
There are tons of local races that include your local municipality, school board and county offices.
Some of the higher-profile seats candidates are seeking include Lehigh County executive, Northampton County executive, Allentown mayor and Bethlehem mayor.
Each county also has a vacancy on Common Pleas Court, so county judge is on the ballot, too, in addition to local magisterial district court judges.
You can find Lehigh County’s sample ballot here. For a rundown of who and which offices are on the ballot in Northampton County,click here.
When and where do I vote in person?
Polling place locations are available through the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Find Your Polling Place tool atpavoterservices.pa.gov.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
How can I return my mail-in ballot if I haven’t already?
A bit of advice: If you have a mail-in ballot and you’ve waited this long to return it, don’t mail it today. Completed ballots must be received by your county election office by 8 Tuesday night – the time the polls close.
That means you have until Tuesday night to drop off your ballot at your county election office or deposit it at an official county drop box. To check the status of your mail-in ballot (and to verify your ballot has been received and will be counted) visit the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Election Ballot Status tool at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov.
Quick fact: Almost 50,000 voters have requested mail-in ballots in Lehigh and Northampton counties ahead of Tuesday's primary election.
Where are the drop boxes in Lehigh and Northampton counties?
This story lists the drop box locations and hours for both Lehigh and Northampton counties. Remember, your ballot has to be in there by 8 p.m. Tuesday or it won’t be counted.
I requested a mail-in ballot, but now I want to vote in person at the polls. Is that possible?
It is, with conditions. If you requested a mail-in ballot but now wish to vote in person, you must bring your mail-in ballot and the return envelope with you to your polling location. You’ll have to fill out a form before being allowed to vote on a machine.
If you don’t bring your mail-in ballot and return envelope to the polls, you can only vote by provisional ballot. That means the county elections board will have to verify that you did not vote by mail before the provisional ballot can be counted.
I haven’t moved, so can’t I just vote in person at the place where I voted last year?
You can in most cases, but some polling locations have changed. If that affects you, you should have received by mail a new voter card with updated information.
Northampton County says five of its polling locations have changed for the upcoming election. Those precincts and the new locations are detailed in this story.
Who should I contact if I have problems or questions about Election Day?
Assistance is available from multiple sources. Among them:
- Northampton County elections office: 610-829-6260 or elections@norcopa.gov
- Lehigh County elections office: 610-782-3194 or electionboard@lehighcounty.org
- The National Election Protection Hotline: Call or text 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) for help with voting questions, including how and where to vote.
- Accessibility issues: All polling places in Pennsylvania offer at leastone accessible voting system for voters with disabilities.
When will we know the results of the primary election?
Unofficial results will be available on election night but they may not be complete. Mail ballots typically require additional time to process. Final tallies may take several days to complete and typically aren’t certified by county election offices for a week or so after the election.
Northampton County posts its election results here starting shortly after the polls close on Election Night
You can find what Lehigh County is reporting onits election results at this link.
Of course, be sure to follow LehighValleyNews.com as it covers Election Night results and developments.
