These are the most frequently asked questions about elections
in Allegheny County (and the answers). If you have other questions not
answered here, look elsewhere in our web pages or call our Community
Information Center at 412-261-4281 or email at info@pgh.lwv.org.
When is the next election?
The next election is a Primary Election
on Tuesday, May 18, 2010
What time are the polls open?
7 AM to 8 PM
Can I still register to vote?
Registration closes 30 days before an election -- April
19, 2010.
I will be 18 after registration closes, but before the election.
May I register?
Yes, if your birthday is the day of the election or before. "A
voter becomes of age on the day before his eighteenth birthday."
(county Digest of Election Laws.)
Am I still registered to vote? I can't remember when I last
voted?
If you registered in or after June, 1993, you cannot be disqualified
from voting in elections because you have not voted. However, if you
registered before that and did not vote for 5 years, you may have been
removed from the state registration list and you cannot vote until you
re-register. Call the Division of Elections to
find out your status.
I moved after registration closed. Can I vote?
If you have moved from the residence where you are registered to vote
to another residence in Pennsylvania less than 30 days before an election,
you may vote only at your former residence. After the election, but
at least 30 days before the next election, you should change your voter
registration by submitting a new voter registration mail application
form.
If you have moved from the residence where you are registered to vote
more than 30 days before an election but did not change your address
with the voter registration officials, you may vote only at the polling
place that covers your old residence, the one where you are registered
to vote. However, you can vote at your old polling place only once,
and there are special procedures that you must follow.
If you are challenged you may vote a provisional ballot. You can appear
at the Court of Common Pleas downtown at the Court House and plead your
case. You may call the Court on Election Day, 412-350-5463.
Where can I get a mail registration form?
The forms should be available in Driver's License Centers, State Liquor
Stores, Welfare Centers, Libraries, League of Women Voters Community
Information Center, and at the Division of Elections. Some
municipal buildings, banks, grocery stores, and post offices also have
the forms.
I changed my name? Can I vote?
Yes, you may vote under your old name as long as you wish. However,
we recommend reregistering by filing a new form.
How do I get an absentee ballot?
Call the Division of Elections, 412-350-4520,
for Absentee Ballot Application Form. The last day to apply is Tuesday,
May 11, 2009. The application must be at
the Division of Elections by 5 PM. The absentee ballot must be returned
before 5 PM Friday, May 14, 2009.
It's 2 days before the election. I am going out of town unexpectedly,
or I am sick, or a member of my family is going to the hospital. Can
I vote?
No. You are out of luck. State law requires that absentee ballots be
in the Division of Elections Office
at 5 p.m. the Friday before the election.
I am registered as an independent. Can I vote in a primary election?
Pennsylvania is a closed Primary state - party members, only, may nominate
candidates for the General Election. BUT you CAN vote on all ballot
questions - amendments to the state constitution, bond issues and special
elections.
What identification do I need at the polls?
If you are voting at your polling place for the first time, you must
bring a Photo ID such as a driver's license, student ID or some other
form of US or PA government issued ID or a US or PA government issued
non-photo ID such as a voter identification card, a firearm permit,
or a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government check.
Click
here for a complete list of acceptable forms of ID.
What do I do if my right to vote is challenged at the polls?
See the Judge of Elections: If your right to vote is challenged at the
polls on election day, you are in the right polling place, and the problem
cannot be resolved by the judge of elections, you have the right to
ask for and vote by provisional ballot. If it is later determined that
you were eligible to vote your ballot will be counted. You will be given
instructions on how to determine if your vote was counted.
Where is my polling place?
Final polling places are printed in two major newspapers the Tuesday
before the election. The only changes then are emergency ones, like
changes due to fire in the building. You can also call our Community
Information Center and we will attempt to determine your polling
place from street lists.
Do I need my Voting Registration Card to vote?
No, you do not need the card to vote.
If you are voting at your polling place for the first time,
you must bring a Photo ID such as a driver's license, student ID or
some other form of US or PA government issued ID or a US or PA government
issued non-photo ID that shows your address such as a voter identification
card, a firearm permit, or a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck,
or government check. Click
here for a complete list of acceptable forms of ID.
If your registration is challenged,
you are entitled to a provisional ballot which will be counted if you
are later determined to be eligible.
Where can I get information on the candidates?
The LWV 2010 Voters Guide to the Primary
Election. We also expect it to be published in The
New Pittsburgh Courier on May 12.
You can attend candidate forums, watch TV debates, read local newspapers,
and visit candidate web sites.
You may also get information from the political parties:
- Democratic Party Headquarters: 225 Ross St., Suite 200, Pittsburgh
15219: 412-281-8901
- Republican Party Headquarters: 125 Seventh St., Suite 626, Pittsburgh
15222: 412-281-9748.
What offices are on the ballot?
see Election Overview
What ward and district am I in?
Call our Community Information Center
at 412-261-4284 and we will attempt to determine that for you from our
street lists.
Who are my representatives?
Check Facts for Citizens or
call our Community Information Center at 412-261-4284
.
My son/daughter is in the service. How can he/she vote?
You can write to the Division of Elections, and
request a military ballot. They do not have to be registered, but must
be 18 by the day after the election. You may pick up a request for a
military ballot for the service person and fill it out. Spouses of military
personnel must be registered in Pennsylvania.
I am blind. Can the League of Women Voters help me with information
on the candidates and ballot questions?
You can call the Community Information Center
and we can read the Voters Guide to you over the phone. For general
elections, the Guide is also available at:
- Radio Information Service, 2100 Wharton St., #140, Pittsburgh 15203.
Phone 412-488-3944
- Pittsburgh Blind Association, 300 S. Craig St., Oakland 15213
- Greater Pittsburgh Guild for the Blind, 311 Station St. Bridgeville.
How may I get voting assistance at the polls?
You may have assistance if it is so noted on your registration card.
Call the Division of Elections, 412-350-4500. This form must be in the
Division's hands November 27 Anyone can help except the voter's employer,
an agent of the employer, an officer or agent of the voter's union,
and the judge of elections. However, if the disability is not recorded
on the elector's registration card, the elector may receive assistance
if the elector completes a declaration in the polling place. (This is
a change from prior election policy.)
How do
I use a Voting Machine?
How long do I have in the voting booth? You have three minutes (state
law) but you may take longer IF it is not crowded. Study the sample
ballot which must be posted at each polling place.
Will there be a sample ballot in the newspapers?
No: there must be one posted in each polling place. (In Allegheny County
alone there are 69 varieties. The cost is too high for duplication in
the newspapers.)
Can I change my party by mail?
Yes, you may change your party by mail.
If your question has not been answered, please check the FAQ
on the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania web site which contains
some additional information.
