Pennsylvania
Pa. primary election 2025: How to request, fill out and return your mail ballot
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This year, Pennsylvania’s primary day is May 20. All registered voters in the commonwealth can either vote by mail ballot or in person. Voting by mail has been an option for all Pennsylvania voters since 2020.
If you choose to vote by mail, here is everything you need to know — from deadlines to how to fill out your ballot and more.
When is the deadline to request a Pa. mail ballot?
You need to request your ballot by 5 p.m., May 13.
Another important deadline: You must register to vote by May 5. You can check your voter registration status online.
If you missed the deadline to request a mail ballot and cannot vote in person on Election Day because of an emergency, you can request an emergency absentee ballot.
How do I request a Pa. mail ballot?
You can request a mail ballot online. You can also download the application — available in English, Spanish and traditional Chinese — and either mail it or submit it in person to your local county election office.
You’ll need your PennDOT ID number or Pennsylvania driver’s license number, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number, to apply. Here’s more information about the identification you’ll need.
Another option: You can go to your county election office and request, fill out and submit your mail ballot all at once. A surge in voters in Bucks County voting by what’s known as on-demand mail ballot voting led to long lines and a legal challenge in the 2024 election. The Pennsylvania Department of State released guidance in April specifying that county voter services’ offices should ensure everyone in line to vote by on-demand mail ballot voting by 5 p.m. on the last day to request a mail ballot should be accommodated.
Voters with disabilities also have the option of applying for an accessible remote ballot — after first applying for a mail ballot — that can be filled out electronically. This is an option for you to vote privately and securely if you use screen readers or other assistive devices.
The Department of State recommends submitting the request for an accessible remote ballot within 24 hours of submitting your mail ballot request.
Designed by Gensler and HDR, in association with Luis Vidal + Architects, the transformed Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal aims to create a more tranquil passenger experience while celebrating Western Pennsylvania’s identity. Completed in November, it is entirely powered by its own microgrid that uses natural gas and solar energy. A skybridge connects the new headhouse—which con- solidates all major airport operations into a single structure—to a modernized terminal concourse. The roof, which consists of staggered peaks that frame clere- story windows, evokes the Allegheny Mountains, while branching columns recall trees. Augmenting the many nods to the region, the team included four verdant terraces fea- turing native plants, which are sustained by rainwater-harvesting systems.
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.
Pennsylvania
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