Pennsylvania Election Day Guide 2019: What Voters Need To Know

Election Day 2019 is just around the corner is Pennsylvania. Though it may not have the national implications of the 2018 midterms, there are dozens of important races being contested at the local level around the state.

Here's what you need to know ahead of the big day on Nov. 5.

Essential voter information

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.

If you will not be able to vote in person, you can still request an absentee ballot through Oct. 29 by going to the state website here.

If you're not sure where to go to vote, you can find your polling place here.

The last day to register to vote was back on Oct. 7. You can double check your voter registration status here. If you're not registered, you can still register to vote online for future elections.

Sample ballots

Beyond researching local candidates and issues, it's never a bad idea to familiarize yourself with what your ballot will actually look like on Election Day.

Vote 411 allows you to input your street address to see what's on your ballot, your polling place, upcoming debates, and more localized information.

To get a broader picture of what ballots look like, county governments provide these sample ballots for voters to check out ahead of time. Here's a list of southeastern Pennsylvania county ballots, broken down by municipality and precinct.

• Bucks County
• Chester County
• Delaware County
• Montgomery County
• Philadelphia

Types of races on the ballot

2019 ballots in Pennsylvania feature a variety of local races, so expect to see school board, town council, and other municipal contests on your ballot. Many county positions are also up for grabs, such as sheriff, district attorney, and county commissioner, as well as races that are often less visible, such as district judges, recorder of deeds, and others.

Voter rights

Before you head out to your polling place, it's important to know your rights, and what is and is not legal in your encounters with poll workers.

You are not required to show identification, according to Pennsylvania law, unless you have never voted at that precinct in the past.

Only voters who have never voted at that precinct before are required to show identification, according to Pennsylvania law. That identification does not have to be photo identification, but it must contain your name and address.

It bears repeating: it is illegal for poll workers to require you to present photo ID, the law states.

Just because your name is not in the poll book, does not mean you are not registered to vote, according to a release from Gov. Wolf's office. Voting officials should call the county board of elections to confirm your status.

For those who may have limited English language proficiency, the law stipulates that you may bring another individual with you into the voting booth to help out casting your vote.