On May 19, Pennsylvanians will cast their votes in primary races, including governor, state House and Senate, and more. By Elizabeth Estrada of Spotlight PA
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters.
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s 2026 primary election is quickly approaching. If you still have questions about where your polling place is, who is on the ballot, and how to vote, Spotlight PA has you covered.
On Tuesday, May 19, Democrats and Republicans across the commonwealth will determine which candidates go on to run in the general election. On the ballot are races for governor and lieutenant governor, along with the entire Pennsylvania House and half of the state Senate. All of Pennsylvania’s 17 congressional districts will also be up for election. Across the state, depending where you live, there might also be local ballot questions.
Before you submit your ballot, here’s a last-minute checklist of everything you’ll need to vote.
First, the basics:
- Make sure you’re registered. You can check your voter registration status on the Pennsylvania Department of State website. Unfortunately, if you’re not already registered, it’s too late to vote in this election cycle.
- The deadline to request a mail or absentee ballot is May 12. Your county election office has to receive your application by 5 p.m. that day. If you have already applied for a mail ballot, you can track it on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s election ballot status webpage. To be counted, your ballot must be received by your county election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Read more about mail ballots and how to properly fill them out.
- In Pennsylvania, if you are registered as an independent or with a third party, you cannot vote for candidates in the primary election because we have a closed primary system. That means only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective party’s primary.
- Unaffiliated and third-party voters, however, can vote on local ballot initiatives and statewide constitutional amendments during the primary.
- If you plan to vote in person, you can find your polling place online.
- You need to bring a form of ID such as a driver’s license or a passport if it’s your first time voting at your polling location. You can find the full list of acceptable IDs on Pennsylvania’s official election website.
- Whether you’re voting in person or by mail, here’s everything you need to know about your Election Day voting rights.
- For general voting and election resources, check out Spotlight PA’s 2026 Election Center.
- Still have questions? You can reach out to your county election office for answers. Find contact information for your local county on the Pennsylvania election website.
Here’s what you can expect to see on your ballot:
- Aside from statewide races, the races and candidates on your ballot will depend on where you live. To see a sample ballot, search for your local county on the Pennsylvania Department of State voting and election webpage, then follow the link to your official county website, where you may be able to find one.
- In the race for governor, Democrats will see Gov. Josh Shapiro on the ballot while Republicans will see Stacy Garrity. Both candidates are running uncontested in the primary, though there is a write-in campaign for Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano. Use this tool to see how much money Shapiro and Garrity have raised for their campaigns.
- In the race for lieutenant governor, Democrats will see incumbent Austin Davis on the ticket, while Republicans will choose between Jason Richey and John Ventre. Read Spotlight PA’s guide to these candidates to learn more about them.
- The entire Pennsylvania House and half the state Senate are on the ballot this year. Check out Spotlight PA’s guide to vetting candidates to help you evaluate which candidates you want to send to or keep in Harrisburg.
- If you have any questions or have issues finding this information, contact your local county election office for support.
There are no statewide ballot measures this spring, but some voters may see local questions — for instance, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia both have them. Check your county’s election website or sample ballot to learn exactly which races, candidates, and questions you will be voting for.
Read Spotlight PA’s complete coverage, including candidate and election guides, and more, at our 2026 Election Center.
A complete listing of Spotlight PA voter guides and coverage:
- Pa. primary election 2026: Your complete guide to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro
- Pa. primary election 2026: Your complete guide to Republican Stacy Garrity in the race for governor
- Pa. primary election 2026: Your complete guide to the candidates for lieutenant governor
- Where Garrity and Shapiro stand on broadband, federal cuts, and other key rural issues
- Pa. primary election 2026: What you need to know about your Election Day voting rights
- Pa. primary election 2026: A complete guide to who is on the primary ballot, when to vote, how to vote, where to vote, casting mail ballots, and more
- Pa. primary election 2026: Everything you need to know about requesting, filling out, and returning your mail ballot
- Pa. election 2026: A guide to vetting primary candidates
- The 2026 primaries likely to shape the Pennsylvania House and Senate
- Meet 2 of the 1 million independent Pa. voters shut out of next month’s primary
- Pa. primary election 2026: How to serve as a poll worker on May 19
- Pa. primary election 2026: Everything college students need to know about voting
En Español:
- Elecciones primarias 2026 en Pa.: Una guía completa de quién está en la papeleta de las primarias, cuándo votar, cómo votar, dónde votar, emitir votos por correo y más
- Elecciones primarias 2026 en Pa.: Todo lo que necesita saber sobre cómo solicitar, llenar y devolver su papeleta de voto por correo
- Elecciones primarias 2026 en Pa.: Cómo convertirse en trabajador electoral el 19 de mayo
BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
Image: People wait in line to vote Nov. 5, 2024, at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.(Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA)