Pennsylvania (WKBN) – Monday is the last day in Pennsylvania to register to vote before the primary election on May 16.
It is also the last chance for voters to make any party affiliation changes. Pennsylvania primaries are closed, meaning to vote you must be either registered a Republican or Democrat.
Though you vote for only your selected party’s primary, there is another option if you’d like to vote for a candidate on the other ticket.
“If somebody wants to vote for someone they can write them in. You can write in anybody regardless if they are a democrat or republican. You can write in the candidate of your choice,” said Thad Hall, the Mercer County elections director.
Hall says there are no candidates on the democratic ticket running for any of the county’s row offices.
This May, there are over 100 positions all together, though not everyone will have nearly that many choices.
Hall says though it is an off-year primary, he expects a good voter turnout.
“I know that in every precinct we’ll have a baseline turnout of about 25% and then above that is what candidates mobilize people to do. So, I think in some of our precincts we’ll have 40% or 50% turnout and so that definitely makes things busier.”
Next Tuesday, May 9 is the last day to request a mail-in ballot before the primary election.
Unlike Ohio, in PA residents are able to return their mail in ballots in-person to the elections office on election day. It just must be returned before polls close.
You can check and update your voter registration status at until 5 p.m. on Monday.
