Polls are open for the 2022 primary elections today until 8 p.m., and voters have until that time to return mail-in ballots to the county elections office Downtown.
Federal and state offices are on the ballot and today’s contests determine party nominees for the crucial midterm elections in November. Here is what you need to know about participating in this election:
Can I vote today?
Only voters registered as Democrats or Republicans can vote in the primaries. Independent voters cannot participate.
Where and when can I vote?
Use this website to find out where your polling place is. Polls will be open until 8 p.m. As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you can vote.
What if I haven’t returned my mail-in ballot?
Ballots must be received by the county by 8 p.m. today to be counted — no exceptions. If you put it in the mail today, it will not be counted.
Voters can deliver their mail-in ballots to the County Office Building at 542 Forbes Ave. A voter can only deliver their own ballot, not one belonging to anyone else.
If you have a mail-in ballot and want to vote in person instead, you can surrender your mail-in ballot at your polling location and vote there. If you have already submitted your mail-in ballot, you cannot vote in person.
Any voter with a disability as defined by the ADA can designate somebody else to deliver their ballot using this form.
Who is on the ballot?
Voters of the two major parties will select nominees for the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania governor and lieutenant governor and the state House and Senate.
This cycle is remarkable for how few incumbents are running. Both area congressional seats, Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat and the governor’s office all saw wide open and expensive primaries.
There are a handful of open state House seats in the Pittsburgh area, too, thanks to redistricting and the resignations of members who have joined the new city administration.
To see your options before you head to the polls, click here to view a sample ballot.
How can I find election results?
Allegheny County will add election results to its website as they become available, viewable here. County officials said they expect all of the mail-in ballots to be counted and uploaded around 8 p.m. In-person results will come gradually after that throughout the night.
The Pennsylvania Department of State will provide results for statewide races as they become available, viewable here.
Charlie Wolfson is PublicSource’s local government reporter and a Report for America corps member. He can be reached at charlie@publicsource.org and on Twitter @chwolfson.
