Voting on Election Day

When is Election Day?

• November 4, 2008

Where do I vote?

• You have to vote at the polling place to which you've been assigned.
• Your polling place is listed on your voter registration card.
• You can contact your county board of elections before Election Day to find out where to vote. 
• You can also look up your polling place online at http://www.votespa.com. All you have to do is enter your home address.

When are the polls open?

• Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  You have the right to vote if you're in line when the polls close.

Can I get time off from work to vote?

• Employers are not required to give employees time off from work to vote. Some employers will allow employees to leave early or come in late. Ask your employer before Election Day.

What if I need help voting?

• If you need help using the voting machine, talk to a poll worker. Poll workers are required to help you even if you're in the voting booth.
• If you need help because of a disability or medical problem, or because you can't read or write, you have the right to bring a person to help you. It can be anybody except your employer, a labor union representative, or a judge of elections. Ask a poll worker to give you a form called Declaration of the Need for Assistance.

What if my polling place is inaccessible?

• If you find this out before Election Day, contact your county board of elections right away to request an Alternative Ballot. Otherwise, ask a poll worker where to go to file an Emergency Application for an Alternative Ballot.  You can't file this at your polling place.  You will most likely have to file it at your county board of elections.

Can I get a ballot in a language other than English?

• If your native language is not English, you have the right to bring an interpreter with you. It can be anyone except your employer, a labor union representative or a judge of elections.
• In Philadelphia and the City of Reading, all voting material should be printed in Spanish and English and each polling place should have a Spanish-English interpreter. Poll workers are required to offer you this assistance, but you can ask for it if they don't.