2023 Primary Election Preparations Underway In Delaware County

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Officials in Delaware County are gearing up for the 2023 primary election.

Monday, the Delaware County Bureau of Elections completed mailing out about 100,000 vote-by-mail applications — not ballots — to those voters who qualified for or requested an application for, a mail-in or absentee ballot for the 2023 election cycle.

The specific races, and the possible inclusion of ballot questions and constitutional amendments that may appear on the Primary ballots, are ;not final.

Delaware County ballots will include a combination of contests and candidates for State Court judges, District Attorney, County Council, and Magisterial District Judges, and local school and municipal contests.

Go online here for information regarding vote-by-mail ballots, including applications.

Citizens who need to register for the first time—or who need to file updates of their registration name or address—have until Monday, May 1 to register or file updates.

Voters can register to vote or file name/address changes to their existing registration online at delcopa.gov/registration or in person at the Voter Registration office on the first floor of the Government Center Building, 201 W. Front St. in Media, from 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Updated 2023 nomination petition packets—inclusive of the official candidate declaration, blank signature forms, financial interest documents, filing fact sheets, and general instructions and details—are now available for download online here.

The first day for candidates and their supporters to circulate nomination petitions is Tuesday, Feb. 14, and the last day is Tuesday, March 7.

All prospective candidates are also strongly encouraged to consult with a solicitor who is versed in
the election code and campaign-finance requirements.

The County has been alerted that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued this order involving changes to Magisterial District Judge lines.

Changes "effective" January 2024 will be reflected on the 2023 ballots so that candidates may be elected to begin serving in Jan. 2024.

Primary elections are held each Spring to allow voters to select their party’s nominees for the fall general election ballots.

As in all counties in Pennsylvania, only voters whose registrations are affiliated with the Democratic Party may vote a Democratic Primary ballot, and only those whose registrations are affiliated with the Republican Party can vote a Republican Primary ballot.

Voters with any other affiliations will be allowed to vote a "third party ballot" that will list only referendum questions.

If there is no referendum, third-party voters will not be able to cast ballots at the primary.