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Pennsylvania elections, 2013
Contents |
| On the 2013 ballot |
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Exceptions include special elections. Find current election news and links here. |
2013 elections
Special elections
State House District 42
- Matthew Smith (D) was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate on November 6, 2012, and resigned from his seat in the House. A special election was called for May 21, which Dan Miller won. Nominees will be chosen by parties, not through a primary.[1][2]
- Related: See election results here.
- See also: Pennsylvania state legislative special elections, 2013.
State House District 95
- Eugene DePasquale (D) was elected as Pennsylvania Auditor on November 6, 2012, and resigned from his seat before he was sworn-in in January 2013. A special election was called for May 21, which Kevin Schreiber won. Nominees will be chosen by parties, not through a primary.[2][3][4][5]
- Related: See election results here.
- See also: Pennsylvania state legislative special elections, 2013.
Voting absentee
- See also: Absentee Voting
Eligibility
A voter is eligible to You are eligible to vote absentee in an election if you cannot make it to the polls on election day for one of the following reasons:absentee in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on election day for one of the following reasons:
- A person who is or may be in the military service of the United States, regardless of whether at the time of voting the person is present in the election district of residence or in the Commonwealth and regardless of whether he or she is registered to vote.
- A spouse or dependent residing with or accompanying a person in the military service of the United States and who expects on Election Day to be absent from his or her municipality of residence during the entire period in which the polling places are open for voting (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
- A member of the Merchant Marine and his/her spouse and dependents residing with or accompanying the Merchant Marine, who expect on Election Day to be absent from the Commonwealth or the municipality of residence during the entire period in which the polling places are open for voting (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
- A member of a religious or welfare group attached to and serving with the armed forces and his/her spouse and dependents residing with or accompanying him or her, who expect on Election Day to be absent from the Commonwealth or the municipality of residence during the entire period in which the polling places are open for voting (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
- An individual who, because of the elector's duties, occupation or business (including attendance of college in another coutny/state, leaves of absence for teaching, vacations and sabbatical leaves), expects on Election Day to be absent from his/her municipality of residence during the entire period the polls are open for voting and the spouse and dependents of such electors who are residing with or accompanying the elector and for that reason also expect to be absent from his/her municipality during the entire period the polls are open for voting (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
- A qualified war veteran elector who is bedridden or hospitalized due to illness or physical disability if the elector is absent from the municipality of his residence and unable to attend his/her polling place because of such illness or disability, regardless of whether the elector is registered to vote.
- A person who, because of illness or physical disability, is unable to attend his/her polling place or to operate a voting machine and obtain assistance by distinct and audible statements. (Note: A disabled elector may be placed on a permanently disabled absentee file.)
- A spouse or dependent accompanying a person employed by the Commonwealth or the Federal Government, in the event that the employee's duties, occupation or business on Election Day require him/her to be absent from the Commonwealth or the municipality of residence during the entire period the polls are open for voting (7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M).
- A county employee who expects that his Election Day duties relating to the conduct of the election will prevent the employee from voting.
- A person who will not attend a polling place on Election Day because of the observance of a religious holiday.
Deadlines
To vote absentee a request must be received at least seven days prior to the election. The ballot must then be returned by 5pm on the Friday before the election.
Military and overseas voting
For full details, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program here.
2012 developments
Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Corbett gave an executive order, extending the deadline for receipt of completed absentee by the county Board of Elections to 5 p.m. on Monday, November 5. The extension applies to those counties where the Board of Elections was closed due to Hurricane Sandy.[6]
Voting early
- See also: Early voting
Pennsylvania is one of seven states that does not have any form of early voting.
Elections Performance Index
Pennsylvania ranked 27th out of the 50 states and District of Columbia in the Pew Charitable Trusts' Elections Performance Index (EPI), based on the 2010 elections. The EPI examines election administration performance assigning an average percentage score based on 17 indicators of election performance. The indicators were chosen within the framework of determining the convenience and integrity of each of the three administrative phases of an election: registration, voting and counting. Pennsylvania received an overall score of 64%.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ Post-Gazette, "May 21 special election set to fill state House seat," January 18, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 WITF, "Awaiting special elections announcement for two House seats," November 25, 2012
- ↑ Politics PA, "GOP Taps Tate for DePasquale Seat," January 16, 2013
- ↑ GP.org, "Green Party Endorses Bill Swartz in Special Election," February 25, 2013
- ↑ ydr.com, "If elected, Bryan Tate would be the third openly gay state lawmaker in Pennsylvania," March 2, 2013
- ↑ The Times Herald, "Gov. Tom Corbett gives executive order to extend completed absentee ballots," November 1, 2012
- ↑ Pew Charitable Trusts, Election Performance Index Report
