Philadelphia Voters: Your Election Day Guide for Tuesday, Nov. 3
Philadelphia polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m. — a postmark does not count — and first-time voters at a polling place should bring ID.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and polls in Philadelphia are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any voter who is in line by 8 p.m. may still vote, so arriving before closing time protects your ballot even when the line moves slowly in Center City, South Philadelphia or the Northeast.
Pennsylvania's ID rule is narrower than many voters expect: identification is required only if it is your first time voting at that polling place. Both photo and non-photo ID are accepted, including a Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID card, a passport, student, employee or military ID, or a non-photo document showing your name and address such as a voter registration card or utility bill.
Mail voters face the day's hardest deadline. A mail ballot must be received by the county board of elections by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, and a postmark does not count. In Philadelphia, voters can hand-deliver a completed ballot to the City Commissioners' election offices rather than trusting the mail on Election Day.
A completed mail ballot cannot simply be dropped off at a polling place. Voters who bring one to their polling place should bring the whole packet, surrender it, and vote in person — or vote provisionally if that is not possible. Ask the local election board at the site to walk you through the correct option before you leave.
Confirm your polling place and registration status at vote.pa.gov before you go, especially if you have moved between neighborhoods such as Fishtown, Manayunk or West Philadelphia. Philadelphia's ballot includes Governor and Lieutenant Governor, U.S. House, Pennsylvania House and some Pennsylvania Senate seats, and ballot questions — read yours in full.
