It’s election season, and in a little under two months, Philadelphia residents will cast their vote for various categories, including the governor, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate. The Germantown Info Hub wants to be sure Germantown residents can take advantage of all of their options to participate. Some reminders include election categories, ballot questions, important dates, and drop box locations.
Important Dates
- October 24th is the last day to register before the November election.
- November 1st is the last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot. Applications must be received by 8 p.m.
- November 8th is the last day for the County Board of Elections to receive mail-in and absentee ballots. Residents must submit ballots by 8 p.m. — postmarks may not be honored.
- November 8th is the General Election. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What are we voting for on Nov 8?
- United States Senate
- Pa.’s 2nd Congressional District
- Pa.’s 3rd Congressional District
- Pa.’s 5th Congressional District
- Pa. State Senate
- Pa. House of Representatives
- Pa. State Governor and Lieutenant Governor
- Ballot measures
Ballot Questions
There will be two measures/questions on the November 8th ballot. They are:
Registering to vote
By law, to register to vote in Philadelphia, you must be:
- 18 years of age on or before the day of the next election.
- A citizen of the U.S. for at least one month before the next election.
- A resident of Philadelphia and your election district for at least 30 days before the next election.
There are four ways to register to vote.
Register to Vote by Mail
You can visit public libraries, U.S. Post Offices, state liquor stores, and other state government offices to find voter registration applications.
You can also print out a paper application by visiting the Philadelphia Votes website and choosing your preferred language (16 available).
All applications should be signed and delivered to:
520 N. Columbus Blvd
5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(215) 686-1590
Register to Vote In Person
Philadelphia County Board of Elections
Room 142 City Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(215) 686-3469
Register to Vote at PennDOT
You can register to vote at your local Pa. Department of Transportation photo license center when you obtain a photo identification card or a driver’s license.
Germantown’s nearest PennDOT is located at:
7121 Ogontz Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19138
Tues-Sat, 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Register to Vote Online
Visit the Pa. Voter Services website to fill out and submit an online voter registration application.
You must update your voter registration if you:
- had a name change (married, divorced, sought legal name change)
- wish to change political party affiliation
- Move or change your address.
You can check the status of your registration by visiting the Pa. Voter Services website.
Mail-In and Absentee Ballots
Mail-In ballots are available to any qualified voter without having to provide a reason. Absentee ballots are for residents who plan to be out of the municipality on Election Day. Absentee ballots are also for disabled or chronically ill persons who cannot make it to their polling places on the day of the election. You must be registered to vote to receive either ballot type.
There are three different ways to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot.
Apply Online
Use your Pa. Driver’s License or PennDOT ID number to apply here. Suppose you don’t have either of those ID numbers? In that case, you will need to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number and upload your signature or download a paper application and mail it to your County Board of Elections.
Apply by Mail
If you have a printer at home, you can print a mail-in or absentee ballot application at home using the following links:
- Mail-in Ballot Application (English)
- Absentee Ballot Application (English)
- Mail-in Ballot Application (Spanish)
- Absentee Ballot Application (Spanish)
If you don’t have a printer at home, you can have an application mailed to you by completing an online request form. You can also request a paper application from your county election board, emailing ra-voterreg@pa.gov, or calling 1-877-VOTESPA (868-3772).
All applications must be received by 5 p.m. on October 25th. Please send them to the Philadelphia County Board of Elections (refer to the top for the address).
Apply In Person
You can apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot in person by visiting the Philadelphia County Board of Elections.
You can check the status of your mail-in and absentee ballot here.
Ballot drop boxes
After you receive your mail-in and absentee ballots, you should fill them out as soon as possible and return them to the Philadelphia County Board of Elections. Ballots can additionally be dropped off at various locations near Germantown before or by 8 p.m. on November 8th. Locations include:
Pleasant Playground
305 Slocum Street
Philadelphia, PA 19119
(Wheelchair Accessible)
Kendrick Recreation Center
5800 Ridge Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19128
(Wheelchair Accessible)
Stenton Playground
4600 N. 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19140
(Wheelchair Accessible)
To obtain more information and assistance with completing an absentee ballot, including emergency absentee ballots, application assistance completion, and alternative ballots for disabled persons and people over 65, visit the Philadelphia Votes website.
Polling places
Polling places will be open on Tuesday, November 8th, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can find your nearest polling place by visiting the city’s Atlas website or calling the Philadelphia Voter Registration Office at (215) 686-1590.
Have you been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor?
If you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or are in pretrial detention, you may still have the ability to vote. Check out the Philadelphia City Commissioners webpage on voting despite having a record and know your rights!
Extra resources for potential voters
Every Tuesday from 9/20/2022 to 10/18/2022 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the NAACP Philadelphia Branch and VoteRiders host a Voter ID Clinic to help folks obtain their birth certificates, ID cards, and voter registration forms. Visit the NAACP Philly Branch location at 4458-B Germantown Avenue on the dates and times listed to get assistance.
Additionally, if you need only a birth certificate replacement, visit Face-to-Face for their free birth certificate clinics. Two more clinics are planned for the season on October 15 and November 5 at 123 Price Street. If you have questions, you can contact John Winicov at john.winicov@facetofacegermantown.org or (215) 438-7939 x232.
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Most of the information from this article was collected from the Pa. State voting website and the Philadelphia Votes website.
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