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Civic Engagement: FAQs

 

 

Voting Information

Voting is crucial because...

To register to vote, you must be:

  • a U.S. citizen
  • meet your state's residency requirements (PA Voters must be: a resident of PA and the district in which you register and vote for at least 30 days before the next election)
  • Find your states eligibility requirements

  • and be at least 18 years old by Election Day. Some states also allow 16- or 17-year-olds to pre-register.

You have rights as a voter protected by both federal and Pennsylvania law...

  • race,
  • ethnicity,
  • national origin, or
  • membership in a language minority.

Your right to vote can only be challenged if...

  • protect people in language minority groups from discrimination,
  • ensure that people with a disability or the elderly can vote independently and privately, and
  • establish rights for people who are in jail or who have been convicted of a crime.

You can report any problems with voter fraud or...

Go to the Election Complaints form

Contact your county election officials

You should register to vote where your home is. That could be either:

  1. where you live while attending college in Pennsylvania OR
  2. your prior home address in Pennsylvania, if your family or guardian still resides there.

College students should plan ahead if they are going to be in different locations in Pennsylvania during different times of the year. For example, if you are registered to vote at the address where your family lives, and you are not able to get to the polling place in your home voting district on Election Day because you will be at school, you should plan to apply for an absentee or mail-in ballot so that you can cast your vote.

Under Pennsylvania law, students may choose to register to vote in their college voting district, provided that they have lived in that district  for at least 30 days before the election.

If you have registered to vote in Pennsylvania after being registered in another state, you should notify the other jurisdiction of your intent to cancel your registration there. You can find a list of ways to cancel voter registration in each jurisdiction from the Election Assistance Commission

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