From Spotlight PA (https://www.spotlightpa.org/):
If you have primary election questions, we have answers.
More than a few things have changed since Pennsylvanians last went to the polls. Your congressional and legislative districts might be different, some counties are supervising or reducing drop boxes, and the mail-in voting law has been ruled unconstitutional — but it remains in effect and a valid form of voting as the state Supreme Court considers an appeal.
Spotlight PA’s complete guide to the May 17 primary covers all of this and more, with key deadlines, tips for casting your ballot at the polls or by mail, and tips for making sure your mail-in vote isn’t thrown out.
If you’re on the fence about the importance of primaries, consider this:
In the new legislative maps, only 15% of the seats are considered competitive, according to nonpartisan analysis. That means most districts have one party with a strong majority, so whichever candidate wins the primary of the dominant party is all but guaranteed to win in November.
THE CONTEXT: Monday is the last day you can register to vote in this primary. You can register online here or check your registration status here.
Want to change your political party? Use the same registration form and simply select the box that says “change of party.”
Of course, Pennsylvania has a closed primary system, meaning only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote for candidates. (We talked recently about the push to change that.)
If you are an unaffiliated/independent voter who wants to vote for candidates in one of next month’s primaries, you must change your registration to one of the two major parties by Monday. Otherwise you’ll have to wait.
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