One of the easiest and most powerful ways to help determine the future direction of our country is by voting. This guide is designed to help you through every step of that process in preparation for the November 5, 2024 general election.

While this guide is geared toward students who may be first-time voters, the advice and resources provided below are useful for everyone.

If you're unsure of how to proceed at any step in the registration or voting process, please don't hesitate to contact your campus library.

For more information about the parties, the issues, and the democratic process, please visit our Voting and Elections guide.

You can also find a lot of useful information at PSU Votes and in the PA Voter's Toolkit.

Registration deadlines

In Pennsylvania, the deadline to register for the November 5 general election is Monday, October 21. For more important dates for PA elections, go to https://www.votespa.com/About-Elections/Pages/Upcoming-Elections.aspx. The deadlines for all other states can be found at https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/state-elections/state-election-dates-deadlines.htm.

Check if you're registered

PA residents: Go to https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/voterregistrationstatus.aspx and search for your voter status by your driver's license or PennDOT ID number, or by name and location. Using an ID number provides the most accurate results.

Non-PA residents: Go to https://www.headcount.org/verify-voter-registration/ and select your state from the menu, or google "check voter registration status" and your state.

Get registered!

PA residents: Go to https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx and complete the online registration form. If you have been issued a driver's license or PennDOT ID, you must enter the identification number from your card to use the online registration form.

Non-PA residents: Google "voter registration" and your state to view your registration options.

Locate your polling place

PA residents: If you're already registered, your polling place is provided when you confirm your registration status at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/voterregistrationstatus.aspx. If your registration is still being processed, go to https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/PollingPlaceInfo.aspx and enter your address to find your polling place. Be patient with this page, it can load slowly after each entry on the form.

Non-PA residents: For most states, your polling place is provided when you confirm your registration status at https://www.headcount.org/verify-voter-registration/. If you're registration is still being processed, google "find polling place" and your state.

Previewing the Ballot

You can bring personal notes, a voter's guide, and/or a sample ballot you've already filled out with you to the voting booth. This can help you to remember your choices and manage anxiety at the polling place. To search for a sample ballot by the address at which you are regiistered, go to https://www.vote411.org/ or https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup. 

Provisional ballots

PA residents

If you registered to vote by October 21 but, for any reason, you are not permitted to vote at a polling place, you may request a provisional ballot to complete and submit on the spot. Some reasons to do so include going to the wrong polling place, failing to provide an acceptable ID as a first-time voter, or having requested but not received a mail-in or absentee ballot (which must be "surrendered" at the polling place to vote in-person). Within seven days of submitting a provisional ballot, election officials will review your eligibility to vote in PA and record your ballot if permissible. Visit this page to learn more: https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Voting-by-Provisional-Ballot.aspx.

Non-PA residents

Google "provisional ballots" and your state to learn more.

In previous years, college students who could not make it to their hometown polling place could apply for an absentee ballot. Now, any PA resident who wishes to vote by mail may do so!

Mail-in voting deadlines

In addition to a registration deadline, each state has a deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot, and another deadline for submitting your ballot. In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballot applications for the general election must be received by your county elections office by 5 PM on Tuesday, October 29, and completed ballots must be postmarked (or received if you return it by hand) by 8 PM on Tuesday, November 5. These deadlines do not leave a lot of time to receive a ballot in the mail, complete it, and mail it back to the elections office, so plan on applying for your absentee ballot well ahead of the deadlines if you can. While you can apply online to vote by mail, your vote must be registered on a paper form and returned by mail or in-person to your county elections office.

For other states' deadlines, go to https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/state-elections/state-election-dates-deadlines.htm.

Request an absentee or mail-in ballot

PA residents: For guidance on which type of ballot to request, how to apply, and the rest of the process for PA voters, go to https://www.votespa.com/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx.

Non-PA residents: Google "vote by mail" and your state for information on how to apply for and complete your mail-in ballot.

Options for returning your mail-in ballot

PA residents can either mail their completed (and double-enveloped) ballots to their county's elections office or return it by hand. And many counties are providing drop boxes for submitting ballots. For drop box locations, go to https://vote.pa/return/. Please follow the instructions for completing your ballot carefully!

Track your absentee/mail-in request and ballot status

PA residents can check on the status of their absentee or mail-in ballot request, as well as the status of their completed ballot, at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/BallotTracking.aspx.