Pennsylvania

Ballot order is critical for candidates. In Pa., it’s determined by luck

Published

2 years ago

March 1, 2024

Ballot order is critical for candidates. In Pa., it’s determined by luck

This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.

As Sajda Blackwell approached the front of the room, she did a little dance of excitement — a shimmy as she pumped both fists in the air.

“All right, all right,” she said, as the woman standing in front of her shook a green leather bag filled with number tiles in preparation for Blackwell — a candidate for the 10th legislative district in west Philadelphia — to select one.

“Thirty-five, I feel alive,” she sang after pulling out her tile.

This wasn’t a game of chance at the local American Legion outpost. Instead, it was an official function of the Pennsylvania Department of State, held in Harrisburg last week. State House candidates had gathered to draw numbers establishing the order in which they would appear on the upcoming primary ballot.

A tile numbered between 31 and 40 is pulled from the bag, and the lower the number, the higher a given candidate appears on the ballot. The peculiar process, prescribed by the state’s Election Code, is how election officials ensure fairness in selecting who gets the coveted top ballot position.

States have a variety of ways of determining ballot order. Some go alphabetically. Some go by who filed their paperwork first. New Jersey separates candidates by whether they received their party endorsement, leading Andy Kim — a Democratic member of Congress who is running in that state’s U.S. Senate race — to file a lawsuit over the practice. He is running against Tammy Murphy, who as the governor’s wife would benefit from the influence of the top Democrat in the state.

Roughly two dozen state House candidates, some with their families, attended the drawing, which was held in the echoey atrium of the Keystone Building — an open-concept building across from the state Capitol building that sports a helicopter pad and often hosts large events. More than 300 candidates are running for the state House, but the room felt empty, and candidates chatted in groups of two or three as they waited.

Then, the process unfolded: Two state employees operated in tandem, one shaking a bag and the other recording the results after candidates, their proxies, or the department employee drew a two-inch-by-two-inch tile from the bag and held it up for all to see.

Why 31-40? Over the years, the lower-numbered tiles had their corners bent, and much like a blackjack dealer at a casino, the department doesn’t want someone to figure out which tile is which before it is pulled.

“If you listed them alphabetically, that’s not fair. I would come at the end of the alphabet,” said William “Chris” Wyatt, a Republican candidate for State House in York, a south-central county. “By having the lottery, it balances things out.”

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Pennsylvania

Pa. provisional ballot rejection rates dropped 11% after envelopes were redesigned

Published

11 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Pa. provisional ballot rejection rates dropped 11% after envelopes were redesigned

Counties that used a redesigned envelope for their provisional ballots in 2025 saw rejection rates drop by 11.3% when compared to last year, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt.

The new look adopted by 85% of counties indicates which fields are for voters and which are for election workers, and highlights where voters must sign. The drop from 4.96% to 4.4% doesn’t include the nine counties that didn’t use the new design or Chester County, which had a printing error in November that omitted third-party and independent voters from pollbooks.

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The 11.3% figure is adjusted for voter turnout. More than 7 million Pennsylvanians voted in 2024 – which was a presidential election year – compared to 3.6 million in the 2025 off-year election.

“Our goal remains ensuring every registered voter in our Commonwealth can cast their vote and have it counted in every election,” Schmidt said in a release. “As with the changes to mail ballot materials two years ago, these improvements resulted in more registered voters being able to make their voices heard in November’s election.”

Two years ago, the state conducted a voter education initiative and required counties to preprint the full year of mail ballot return envelopes. Mail ballot instructions and online application materials were also redesigned.

Five counties — Philadelphia, Berks, Butler, Mercer and Greene — worked with the state to craft the new envelopes to be more user friendly for both voters and poll workers.

“The purpose in leading the redesign effort was to reduce errors and have more votes counted, which is exactly what we achieved,” said Omar Sabir, the chair of the Philadelphia City Commissioners. “An 11% decrease in ballot rejections shows the real impact that thoughtful design can have on protecting voting rights across Pennsylvania.”

The nine counties opting out of the new design were: Bedford, Bradford, Crawford, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Monroe and Wyoming.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.

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Pennsylvania

Anti-war protesters gather in East Liberty as McCormick, Fetterman laud U.S. action in Venezuela, Lee and Deluzio denounce attack

Published

24 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Anti-war protesters gather in East Liberty as McCormick, Fetterman laud U.S. action in Venezuela, Lee and Deluzio denounce attack

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Lottery Pick 2 Day, Pick 2 Evening results for Dec. 28, 2025

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Press Room

The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Pick 2 numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

Day: 4-0, Wild: 1

Evening: 3-2, Wild: 3

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

Day: 5-0-2, Wild: 1

Evening: 4-2-2, Wild: 3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

Day: 3-7-8-3, Wild: 1

Evening: 4-9-2-2, Wild: 3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

Day: 8-3-3-5-3, Wild: 1

Evening: 5-7-4-1-7, Wild: 3

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

09-15-24-34-53, Cash Ball: 04

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

04-06-18-20-31

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

04-05-10-26-28

Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

07-08-16-18-27-37

Check Match 6 Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Sign the Ticket: Ensure your ticket has your signature, name, address and phone number on the back.
Prizes up to $600: Claim at any PA Lottery retailer or by mail: Pennsylvania Lottery, ATTN: CLAIMS, PO BOX 8671, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
Prizes from $600 to $2,500: Use a Claim Form to claim at a retailer or by mail: Pennsylvania Lottery, ATTN: CLAIMS, PO BOX 8671, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
Prizes over $2,500: Mail your signed ticket with a Claim Form or in person at a Lottery Area Office (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Lottery Headquarters is currently not open to the public. Visit the PA Lottery website for other office locations near you.

When are the Pennsylvania Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: 1:35 p.m. and 6:59 p.m. daily.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. daily.
Treasure Hunt: 1:35 p.m. daily.
Match 6 Lotto: 6:59 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
Powerball Double Play: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Pennsylvania editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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