Next month’s election is quickly approaching, and Monday is the voter registration deadline for those planning to cast their ballots.
Philadelphians on Nov. 7 will be choosing their next mayor, City Council, city commissioners, city controller, sheriff, register of wills, and voters across Pennsylvania will weigh in on statewide and local judicial positions.
“Traditionally, municipal elections, like the one on Nov. 7, attract lower voter turnout than mid-term or presidential elections,” said Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, a former city commissioner. “I’d like to see us reverse that trend because arguably the outcome of a municipal election has a far greater impact on the average life of a voter.”
Any U.S. citizen who is at least 18 years old and has lived in their current election district for 30 days or more can register to vote.
People can fill out an application online at vote.pa.gov or in-person at Philadelphia’s two election offices, at 520 N. Columbus Blvd. (fifth floor) and Room 142 at City Hall.
Gov. Josh Shapiro last month implemented automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania, meaning anyone receiving or renewing their driver’s license is registered to vote as part of that process, unless they opt out. Previously, drivers had to opt in to registering at Pennsylvania Department of Transportation centers.
Since Sept. 19, when automatic registration went into effect, 11,303 people have registered to vote through the new system at PennDOT, compared to 7,323 during the same period leading up to the last municipal election in 2021, Schmidt said Thursday.
Halloween, Oct. 31, at 5 p.m. is the deadline to request a mail-in ballot ahead of the election. Applications can be completed online or downloaded at vote.phila.gov.
Schmidt said counties across Pennsylvania have requested more than 938,000 mail ballots. Ballots began going out to voters in Philadelphia on Oct. 6, according to local election officials.
City residents can also request a mail ballot and complete it in-person from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday at Room 140 at City Hall.
People who fill out their ballots at home must submit their paperwork by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters, in addition to returning them in the mail, can place their ballots in one of the city’s 18 dropboxes.
The 24/7 boxes are located at City Hall (near South Broad Street); Corporal Jimmy O’Connor Memorial Playground (formerly Chalfont); Dorothy Emanuel Recreation Center: Eastern State Penitentiary; Ford PAL Recreation Center; Independence Branch Library; Kendrick Recreation Center; 50th Street and Kingsessing Avenue; Markward Playground; Pelbano Recreation Center; Pleasant Playground; Shepard Recreation Center; Shissler Recreation Center; Smith Playground; Stenton Playground; Vogt Recreation Center; Riverview Place; and the election warehouse at 11311 Roosevelt Blvd.
Residents can only drop off their own votes. People who are physically unable to deliver their ballot can fill out a form designating another person as a deliver agent. The form is available at vote.phila.gov.
Polls will be open for voting on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find their polling place by searching their address at atlas.phila.gov/voting.
