How does Pennsylvania figure out

who can vote?

Eligible Voters

Only Pennsylvania residents who are U.S. citizens and age 18 or older on Election Day can vote. People who are 17 may register to vote if they turn 18 by Election Day.

There are more than 9 million registered voters in Pennsylvania. In the 2020 presidential election, nearly 7 million Pennsylvanians cast their ballots; some 2.6 million of those were mail or absentee ballots.

Voter Registration

Pennsylvania has an automatic voter registration (AVR) program available to those who are 1) a U.S. citizen for at least 30 days, 2) a resident of the state for at least 30 days, and 3) at least 18 years old on or before the date of the next election. Residents that meet all three requirements may go to PennDOT centers and, while obtaining a new or renewed state ID, apply to register to vote through the AVR process.

While obtaining or renewing state ID, Pennsylvanians must provide documentation that proves their age, residency, and citizenship This means that it is not possible for noncitizens to register to vote through the AVR program. Once an individual applies to register to vote through the program, their application is sent to their county election board, and county officials again review their eligibility. If they are eligible, the applicant is officially registered to vote.

Checking Voter Rolls

Pennsylvania law requires election officials to regularly update voter registration records. County election boards work to identify and remove people from the voter rolls if they have moved, died, or otherwise become ineligible to vote, as is consistent with Pennsylvania and federal law.

Non-Citizens

Non-citizens are not allowed to vote in Pennsylvania elections. The Pennsylvania Department of State uses Help America Vote Verification (HAVV) data to check partial social security numbers provided by applicants on voter registration applications. HAVV data allows state agencies to identify citizens and noncitizens with the Social Security Administration. Individuals with green cards, visas, or who are simply visiting Pennsylvania are not eligible to vote under state law.

How accurate are Pennsylvania’s voter rolls?

Pennsylvania’s election officials regularly update voter registration records, as required by state and federal law. Election officials conduct checks to identify individuals who moved, died, or have become otherwise ineligible to vote and remove them from the voter rolls.

The state also makes use of data from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). ERIC sends member states frequent reports based on voter registration and vehicle registration data, as well as federal change of address and death data. These comprehensive reports help Pennsylvania remove anyone who has become ineligible to vote.

State law prohibits a dead person’s ballot from being counted, and the same process election officials follow to keep the voter rolls accurate prevents these ballots from being counted. Absentee and mail-in ballots submitted by people who die before Election Day are also not counted.

All of these checks are used to maintain Pennsylvania’s State Voter File – the up-to-date statewide list of eligible voters that all state and local county election boards use.