Election Day essentials: What you need to know as a voter

With the general election just over four weeks away, The Brown and White made a list of important dates and election-related information to ensure students can make a plan to vote and stay informed ahead of Election Day. 

All information is provided by PA voter services. 

Checking your voter registration status

• To be an eligible Pennsylvania voter you must meet the following criteria:
• Be at least 18 years old before the next general, primary, municipal or special election.
• Be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next general, primary, municipal or special election.
• Be a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district where you plan to register and vote for at least 30 days before the next general, primary, municipal or special election.
• Register at least 15 days before the next election.
• Confirm you are registered to vote here.
• For those registered to vote in Pennsylvania, you can check your registration status here. 

Registering to vote in PA

The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania is Oct. 21. There are several ways you can submit your application:

• Online at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx.
• Deliver the printable form to your county voter registration office. 
• Mail the form to your county voter registration office. 
• If you are on active duty in the military or are a hospitalized or bedridden veteran, you can register at any time. Visit https://www.fvap.gov/ for more information. 

Students can contact the election registrar, Chris Commini, at the Northampton County voting registration office located at 669 Washington St., Lower Level, Easton, PA 18042-7408.

Voting by mail

There are two ways to vote by mail:

• Mail-in ballot: Any registered voter can apply to vote by mail without providing a reason.
• Absentee ballot: If you will be out of your municipality on Election Day or have a disability or illness that prevents you from going to your polling place, you can request this ballot by providing a reason for voting by mail.

Your application for mail-in or absentee ballot must be received by your county election office by Oct. 29 at 5 p.m.  

• People with a valid PA driver’s license or PennDOT ID number can apply online. 
• If you do not have a PA ID number, you must provide the last four digits of your social security number and upload your signature online. 
• Otherwise, you can mail or hand deliver a paper application to your county election office.

The registration is not complete until it is accepted by the voter registration office. 

Your county election office must receive your completed mail ballot by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. 

In case of emergency circumstances like unexpected illness, disability or last-minute absence from your municipality, you can request an emergency absentee ballot any time before 8 p.m. on Election Day.

To submit your mail-in ballot, Northampton County has seven locations for ballot drop boxes. In Bethlehem, there are three available:

Northampton County Human Service Building is open Monday through Friday from 8 am. to 2 p.m. and is open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Bethlehem City Hall is open for ballot drop-off Monday through Friday from 8 am. to 4 p.m. and is open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Northampton Community College Fowler Family Southside Center is open Monday through Thursday from 7 am. to 9 p.m., Friday from 7 am. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 7 am. to 2 p.m.

Voting early in-person

Until 5 p.m. on Oct. 29, every Pennsylvania voter can vote early by going to the local county elections office, requesting a ballot, completing it and handing it back to the elections office. The Northampton County Elections Office is open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. during the week. 

Voting in person

On Nov. 5, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. By law, anyone who is in line by 8 p.m. must be allowed to vote. 

In the City of Bethlehem, the polling sites are located at Bethany United Church of Christ, D.A.R. House in Rose Garden, Rosemont Lutheran Church, Nitschmann Middle School and Crosspoint.

• Your polling location can be found here. 
• All voters appearing at a polling place for the first time must show a valid form of identification. 
  • Approved forms of photo identification include:
    • PA driver’s license or PennDOT ID card
    • ID issued by any Commonwealth agency or the U.S. government
    • U.S. passport
    • Student ID
    • Employee ID
  • Non-photo identification must include your name and address, and can include:
    • Confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration Office
    • Firearm permit
    • Current utility bill
    • Current bank statement
    • Current paycheck
    • Government check
    • Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth or U.S. government

Check the status of your ballot.

Once the mail-in or absentee ballots are sent in, voters can track the status of their ballots here. The required fields include first and last name, date of birth, and county. 

Voters cannot track the status of a ballot if voting in person on Election Day. Contact your county election office if voters don’t receive an updated status within 4-5 days since dropping off ballots.