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Pennsylvania state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 2
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
| 2018 Pennsylvania General Assembly elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | May 15, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Democratic primary elections for the seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were on May 15, 2018. For information about the Republican primary elections in Pennsylvania, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 6, 2018. In the state Senate, 25 of 50 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 203 seats were up for election.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Seven Democratic state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:
- Florindo Fabrizio (District 2)
- Joseph Markosek (District 25)
- Brandon Neuman (District 48)
- Michael Hanna, Sr. (District 76)
- Kevin Haggerty (District 112)
- W. Curtis Thomas (District 181)
- William Keller (District 184)
Incumbents defeated
Three Democratic state House incumbents were defeated in the primaries:
- Dominic Costa (District 21)
- Paul Costa (District 34)
- Emilio Vazquez (District 197)
Competitiveness
There were 32 open seats in 2018, which was higher than the 19 open seats in 2016 and the 26 open seats in 2014. The 47 contested Democratic primaries was up from 30 in 2016 and 40 in 2014. The 24 contested Republican primaries was up from 21 in 2016 but down from 29 in 2014. The 489 candidates running was up from 392 in 2016 and 421 in 2014.
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 228 | 32 | 489 | 47 | 24 | 15.6% | 27 | 13.8% |
| 2016 | 228 | 19 | 392 | 30 | 21 | 11.2% | 29 | 13.9% |
| 2014 | 228 | 26 | 421 | 40 | 29 | 15.1% | 42 | 20.8% |
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania State Senate as of July 2018:
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 82 | |
| Republican Party | 121 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 203 | |
Pennsylvania State Senate
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 16 | |
| Republican Party | 33 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 50 | |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Pennsylvania utilizes a closed primary process. Voters are required to register with a political party to vote in the primary election.[1][2]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Pennsylvania, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Pennsylvania, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next election, a resident of the district in which he or she is registering for at least 30 days before the next election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.[4] The deadline for registering to vote is 15 days before the election.[4] Registration can be done online, in person, or by mail. Prospective voters can register in person at the county voter registration office or at a number of state agencies, including Pennsylvania Department of Transportation centers. The Pennsylvania voter registration application is available online and can be mailed to the county voter registration office.[5] On September 19, 2023, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced that the state had implemented automatic voter registration.[6]
Automatic registration
Pennsylvania practices automatic voter registration.[7]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Pennsylvania implemented an online voter registration system in 2015.[8] Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Pennsylvania does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
Prospective voters must be residents of the district in which they are registering for at least 30 days before the next election.
Verification of citizenship
Pennsylvania does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[9] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Pennsylvania Department of State allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
Pennsylvania does not generally require voters to present identification while voting. However, a voter who is voting at a polling place for the first time must present identification.[10]
Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of October 2024. Click here to ensure you have current information.
| “ | Approved forms of photo identification include:
If you do not have a photo ID, you can use a non-photo identification that includes your name and address.
|
” |
Early voting
Pennsylvania voters can cast mail ballots in person. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State's Office of Communications and Press, "Once a county’s ballots are finalized and printed, a registered voter can apply for their mail ballot in person at their county election office, complete it, then submit it all in one visit. Voters should check their county's website to see when they have final ballots available and what hours their election office is open."[12] For more information, visit this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Beginning with the April 28, 2020, primary election, all Pennsylvania voters are eligible to cast absentee ballots. The change came about as a result of SB421, an omnibus election law bill which Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) signed into law on October 31, 2019.[13][14]
See also
- Pennsylvania state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2018
- Pennsylvania State Legislature
- Pennsylvania elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed September 24, 2024
- ↑ Casetext, "25 Pa. Stat. § 299," accessed September 24, 2024
- ↑ Department of State, “First Time Voters,” accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Department of State, “Voter Registration Application,” accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ Department of State, “Contact Your Election Officials,” accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure," September 19, 2023
- ↑ NBC, "Pennsylvania rolls out automatic voter registration," September 19, 2023
- ↑ The Patriot-News, “Thousands take advantage of new online voter registration in Pennsylvania,” September 2, 2015
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Department of State, "First Time Voters," accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Janie Valentine, "Email communication with Amy Gulli," September 10, 2024
- ↑ PennLive, "Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf signs historic election reform bill into law," October 31, 2019
- ↑ Pennsylvania.gov, “Voting in Pennsylvania,” accessed October 1, 2019
