The Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application is the paper form for voter registration in Pennsylvania elections. It also updates an existing registration: a change of name, address or political party. You mail or deliver it to your county voter registration office, and the county sends a Voter Registration Card if it accepts the application. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published on the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website.
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What is Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application?
The Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application is the form you use to register to vote in elections in Pennsylvania. It can also change the information on an existing Pennsylvania registration or register you with a political party or change the party you chose.
The form asks for your name, eligibility answers, the reason for the application, birth date, address, a PennDOT number or the last four digits of your Social Security number, political party, any voting assistance you need, and your previous registration details if your name or address changed. You sign a declaration that is treated like an affidavit. A final section lets you offer to be a poll worker or a bilingual interpreter on Election Day.
Completing the form does not make you a registered voter. The instructions on the form say your registration is not complete until your county voter registration office processes and accepts it. If it is accepted, you receive a Voter Registration Card from the county by nonforwardable mail.
The form is printed in English and refers readers who want it in Spanish to 1-877-868-3772. Voters can also register on the web at register.votesPA.com.
Who needs to file Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application?
Anyone who wants to register to vote in Pennsylvania uses this form. To register you must be a United States citizen for at least 30 days before the next election, be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district for at least 30 days before the next election, and be at least 18 years old on the day of the next election.
You also use it if you are already registered and have moved or changed your name. If you are registered and nothing has changed, the form says you do not have to use it. You can use it to register with a party or change your party.
Special situations named on the form:
- Military: active-duty personnel and hospitalized or bedridden veterans can register at any time; see www.fvap.gov.
- College students: you can register where you live while attending school in Pennsylvania.
- People in prison or with a felony conviction: if you meet all other requirements, you can register if you are in prison awaiting trial but not convicted, in prison after a misdemeanor conviction only, released from prison or a halfway house after completing your term, on probation or parole, or under house arrest. You cannot use a prison or halfway house address.
If you answer "No" to the citizenship or age question, you cannot register. You may register and vote in only one place.
When to file Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application
To be registered for the next election, mail or deliver your application to your county voter registration office at least 15 days before that election. Active-duty military and hospitalized or bedridden veterans can register at any time.
File a new application whenever you move or change your name, or when you want to join a party or change the one you selected. The residency and citizenship periods are measured before the election: 30 days in your election district and as a citizen.
After you submit, the form says to expect a Voter Registration Card from your county within 7-10 days of acceptance; if it does not arrive in that time, contact your county voter registration office.
How to fill out Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application
Print your name
Section 1: enter your last name, first name and middle name or initial. Check Jr, Sr, II, III or IV if it applies.
Answer the eligibility questions
Section 2: check Yes or No for U.S. citizenship and for being 18 years or older on or before election day. A "No" to either means you cannot register.
Select the reason for the form
Section 3: check New registration, Change of name, Change of address, Change of party, or Federal or State employee registering in county of last residence.
Enter personal details
Section 4: enter your birth date and check M or F for sex. Race, phone and email are optional; phone and email are used if information on the form is missing.
Give your residence address
Section 5: enter your street address (not a P.O. box), apartment number, city or town, ZIP code, municipality and county. If you have no street address or permanent residence, check the box and draw the map on page 4.
Add a separate mailing address
Section 6: check Same as above, or enter the address or P.O. box, city or town, state and ZIP code where you receive mail.
Provide identification
Section 7: enter your PA driver's license or PennDOT ID card number. If you have none, enter the last four digits of your Social Security number, or check the box saying you have neither.
Choose a political party
Section 8: check Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian or None (No Affiliation), or write a party under Other. Register with Democratic or Republican to vote in a primary.
Request voting help if needed
Section 9: check the box if you require help to vote and describe the assistance, or check the language help box and write your preferred language.
Enter previous registration details
Section 10: if your name or address changed, give the name on your previous registration, your full previous address and county, your PA Voter No. if available, and the year. Skip it if you are registering for the first time.
Sign the declaration
Section 11: sign or make your mark, print your name and enter today's date. The declaration is the same as an affidavit.
Record any helper and optional boxes
Section 12: fill in the name, address, phone and signature of anyone who helped you or witnessed your mark. Section 13: check the boxes if you want to be a poll worker or bilingual interpreter.
Review, download and print the PDF
Check each section against the instructions, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Fold it as printed, add a first-class stamp and send it as described under How to submit.
How to submit Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application
You can mail the paper application, deliver it in person, or register on the web.
- By mail: Send the application to the voter registration office of your county. Fold the form along the printed fold lines, moisten it shut, place a first-class stamp where marked, and mail it. The form says not to use staples. The mailing panel carries a space for your county office's address.
- In person: Deliver the application to your county voter registration office. Page 2 of the form lists the street or P.O. box address and phone number for every Pennsylvania county. Email addresses are listed at www.votesPA.com/county.
- Online: The form says you can also register on the web at register.votesPA.com.
Questions can go to your County Voter Registration Office or to 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772). The form lists no fee. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Answering "No" to the citizenship or age question and still submitting; the form says you cannot register with a "No" to either one.
- Writing a P.O. box in the Section 5 address; that line is for where you live, and a P.O. box belongs in Section 6.
- Leaving out your PennDOT driver's license or ID card number when you have one; the form says you must use it.
- Using a prison or halfway house address as your voting address; the form does not allow it.
- Choosing "Other" or "None (No Affiliation)" and expecting to vote in a primary; you must be registered as Democratic or Republican to do so.
- Skipping Section 10 after a move or name change, or filling it in when registering for the first time.
- Leaving the Section 11 declaration without a signature or mark, or signing while knowing a statement is false, which the form calls perjury.
- Missing the cutoff: the application must reach your county office at least 15 days before the next election.
- Mailing the application to the wrong county office instead of the one for the county where you live.
- Stapling the folded form shut; the mailing instructions say not to use staples.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pennsylvania voter registration application?
It is the form used to register to vote in Pennsylvania elections. You can also use it to change your name, address or political party on an existing registration. Your county voter registration office must process and accept it before you are registered.
Who can register to vote in Pennsylvania?
You must be a U.S. citizen for at least 30 days before the next election, live in Pennsylvania and your election district for at least 30 days before it, and be 18 or older on election day. Answering "No" to the citizenship or age question means you cannot register.
What is the deadline for voter registration in Pennsylvania?
Your application must reach your county voter registration office at least 15 days before the next election. Active-duty military and hospitalized or bedridden veterans can register at any time; see www.fvap.gov for details.
Where do I mail the Pennsylvania voter registration form?
Mail or deliver it to the voter registration office in your county. Page 2 of the form lists each county's address and phone number. Fold it, moisten it shut and add a first-class stamp; the form says not to use staples.
Can I fill out the voter registration form online?
You can complete the PDF online on FillingPDF and download it, then mail or deliver it. The form also says you can register on the web at register.votesPA.com. FillingPDF does not submit your registration to the county.
Can someone with a felony conviction register to vote in Pennsylvania?
Possibly. The form says that if you meet all other requirements, you can register if you were released after completing your term, are on probation or parole, are under house arrest, or are in prison only awaiting trial or for a misdemeanor. You cannot use a prison address.
Do I need ID to register or to vote?
The application asks for your PennDOT driver's license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. The form also says you must show identification the first time you vote in your election district; see www.votesPA.com/ID.
Do I have to re-register if I am already registered?
Not unless something changed. The form says you do not have to use it if you are registered in Pennsylvania, unless you have moved or changed your name. Use it also to change your political party.
What if I do not get my Voter Registration Card?
Contact your county voter registration office if the card has not arrived within 7-10 days. The county sends it by nonforwardable mail if your registration is accepted; your registration is not complete until the county processes and accepts it.
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