See the races and measures on Philadelphia ballots, plus when and where to vote, in plain English. Covers Philadelphia County.
Enter your address in the guide to see your races and make a voting plan you can print. Your picks stay on your device. Compare endorsements from 18 sources side by side, or hide them.
Key dates
- Last day to register online: Mon, Oct 19Register or update online at pavoterservices.pa.gov until 11:59 PM on Monday, October 19 (15 days before the election). You need a PennDOT driver's license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
- Last day to register by mail: Mon, Oct 19A paper application must be received by your county voter registration office by Monday, October 19. The official calendar says 'Voter Registration Mail Applications must be received by the county voter registration commission not later than the deadline to register.' a postmark is not enough. Mailing one this late is risky; register online or in person instead.
- Last day to register in person: Mon, Oct 19Hand in a paper application at your county election office (or a PennDOT driver's license center) during business hours on Monday, October 19. The calendar says 'Paper and in-person registration applications may only be received during the hours when the county office is open for business.' Philadelphia: County Board of Elections, City Hall Room 140, or any satellite election office, or the Voter Registration Office at 520 N. Columbus Blvd. Allegheny County: Elections Division, County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; satellite sites on Oct. 17 and 18 (9 AM to 4 PM) also take registrations.
- Last day to ask for a mail ballot: Tue, Oct 27Your county election office had to receive your application by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 27. The official calendar: 'Last day before the November election on which official applications for mail-in ballots may be received by the county boards of elections, due at 5:00 PM.' That deadline has passed; you can still return a ballot you already have. Emergency absentee ballots (sudden illness or emergency after 5 PM Oct. 27) can be requested until 8 PM on Election Day; ask your county.
- Can you vote before Election Day?Pennsylvania has no early voting. Voting a mail ballot in one visit at a county or satellite office ended at 5 PM on October 27. You can still return a ballot you already have by 8 PM on November 3: in Philadelphia at City Hall Room 140, a satellite office (Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM) or a drop box; in Allegheny at the County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave. (Ross St. entrance), any day now through Nov 3, or a staffed return site October 30 to November 2. A sudden emergency after October 27? Ask your county about an emergency absentee ballot, due by 8 PM on November 3.
- Mail ballot deadline: Tue, Nov 38:00 PM ET
- mail (USPS), only if you mail at least a week before Election Day
- your county election office during its hours. Philadelphia: City Hall Room 140. Allegheny: County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Mon to Fri 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and on Election Day at the Ross Street entrance 7 AM to 8 PM.
- Philadelphia: any of about 35 official drop boxes, open 24/7 through 8 PM on Election Day, and any satellite election office during its hours. List: vote.phila.gov/ballot-drop-off
- Allegheny County uses staffed ballot return sites. The 13 locations are Allegheny County Emergency Services Building; Avalon Public Library; Boyce Park Four Seasons Lodge; Carnegie Library Lawrenceville; Carnegie Library Squirrel Hill; CCAC Allegheny, Center for Education, Innovation, and Training; CCAC Homewood; Community Library of Allegheny Valley; County Office Building; Dormont Pool; Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank; North Park Ice Rink; and South Park Ice Rink. Open October 30 and November 2, 11 AM to 7 PM; October 31 and November 1, 9 AM to 5 PM. The County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave. (Ross St. entrance), also takes ballots every day now through Nov 3: Wednesday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday Nov 2 until 7 PM, and Nov 3 from 7 AM to 8 PM. These sites accept completed ballots; they do not issue new ones. Check the county page for locations before leaving.
- Not your polling place. Poll workers cannot accept a voted mail ballot on Election Day.
- Election Day: Tue, Nov 3You can vote from 7 AM to 8 PM. If you are in line at 8:00 PM, stay in line. You get to vote.
Where to vote
- Find your Election Day polling place
- Find a ballot drop box
- Track your mail ballot
- Check your registration
- See your official sample ballot
Philadelphia has 48 ballot styles. Everyone votes for governor and on two city charter-change questions. Your address determines your U.S. House, state Senate (if you have one this year) and state House races. On the mail ballot, the two questions are on the back, so vote both sides. No judicial races are on Philadelphia's ballot this year. For mail ballot services, City Hall Room 140 and the 10 district satellite offices list weekday hours of 9 AM to 5 PM and weekend hours of 10 AM to 4 PM in the 2026 post updated October 17. Mail ballot applications closed at 5 PM on October 27. The offices still replace lost or damaged ballots and take back ballots you have; you can also ask for a replacement with the city's online request form. Check for hour changes before leaving. The city map marks the Vogt Recreation Center drop box out of order due to construction; use another listed location. Mailed your ballot? The city posts a list of mail ballots with problems (no signature, no secrecy envelope, ID not verified). If yours is on it, get a replacement at a satellite office or vote a provisional ballot at your polling place on Nov 3. ID problems: fill out the ID verification form, call 215-686-3469, or go to a satellite office by Nov 9.
Your election office: Philadelphia County Board of Elections (the City Commissioners), City Hall, Room 142
215-686-3469
1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19107
What to bring
ID needed only for some first-time voters.
No ID? A first-time voter at a new polling place who has no ID can vote a provisional ballot. It's counted once the county confirms you're registered. The DOS new-voters page does not spell this case out; it is Election Code 25 P.S. 3050(a.4). Check its status at pavoterservices.pa.gov with the receipt number.
What's on the ballot in Philadelphia
4 races and 2 measures across Philadelphia. Your address decides which ones are on your ballot. Enter it in the guide to see yours.
Federal
- U.S. House of Representatives Your address determines your district.
- District 2 Brendan F. Boyle (Democratic), Jessica Arriaga (Republican)
- District 3 Chris Rabb (Democratic), Dennis Mahoney (The Independent Party)
- District 5 Mary Gay Scanlon (Democratic), Nick Manganaro (Republican)
State
- Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Josh Shapiro / Austin Davis (Democratic), Stacy Garrity / Jason Richey (Republican), Ken Krawchuk / John Thomas (Libertarian)
- Pennsylvania State Senate Your address determines your district.
- District 2 Unopposed: Christine M. Tartaglione (Democratic)
- District 4 Art Haywood (Democratic), Todd Johnson (Republican)
- District 8 Unopposed: Anthony Hardy Williams (Democratic)
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives Your address determines your district.
- District 10 Unopposed: Amen Brown (Democratic)
- District 170 Rob Gurtcheff (Democratic), Martina White (Republican)
- District 172 Unopposed: Sean M. Dougherty (Democratic)
- District 173 Pat Gallagher (Democratic), Bill Griffin (Republican)
- District 174 Unopposed: Ed Neilson (Democratic)
- District 175 Unopposed: MaryLouise Isaacson (Democratic)
- District 177 Joe Hohenstein (Democratic), Robyn Bird (Republican)
- District 179 Unopposed: Jason T. Dawkins (Democratic)
- District 180 Unopposed: Jose A. Giral (Democratic)
- District 181 Unopposed: Malcolm Kenyatta (Democratic)
- District 182 Unopposed: Ben Waxman (Democratic)
- District 184 Unopposed: Elizabeth Fiedler (Democratic)
- District 185 Unopposed: Regina Young (Democratic)
- District 186 Unopposed: Jordan A. Harris (Democratic)
- District 188 Unopposed: Rick Krajewski (Democratic)
- District 190 Unopposed: Roni Green (Democratic)
- District 191 Unopposed: Joanna E. McClinton (Democratic)
- District 192 Morgan Cephas (Democratic), Tiffany Vann Brown (Republican)
- District 194 Unopposed: Tarik Khan (Democratic)
- District 195 Unopposed: Sierra McNeil (Democratic)
- District 197 Unopposed: Danilo Burgos (Democratic)
- District 198 Unopposed: Darisha K. Parker (Democratic)
- District 200 Unopposed: Chris Johnson (Democratic)
- District 201 Unopposed: Andre D. Carroll (Democratic)
- District 202 Unopposed: Jared Solomon (Democratic)
- District 203 Unopposed: Anthony Bellmon (Democratic)
Ballot measures
- Question #1: City contracting preferences and rules
- Question #2: City arts and culture office