Voting with a Criminal Conviction

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

You must register to vote by Monday, May 5, 2025.
You can register online at vote.pa.gov.

The deadline to request a mail or absentee ballot is Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

All voters must be U.S. citizens for at least one month, be at least 18 years old on Election Day, and have been a resident of Pennsylvania for at least 30 days before the election.

Here’s what people need to know about voting with a criminal conviction in Pennsylvania. Please note that this information only applies to Pennsylvania. Other states have different laws.

• People in jail or prison who have been convicted of misdemeanors (must vote with an absentee ballot)
• People who are under house arrest (must vote with an absentee ballot)
• People who are on probation or on parole
• People who are on parole or probation and living in a halfway house or community corrections center (must vote with an absentee ballot and cannot use the address of the halfway house as their registration address. Must use previous or future address.)
• People being held in jail while they are waiting to go to trial (must vote with an absentee ballot)

• People who are in prison or jail because of a felony conviction and who won’t be released before the election
• People who have been convicted of violating Pennsylvania election laws within the past four years

If you are already registered to vote, you do not need to do anything to regain your voting rights after you have served your sentence for a felony conviction.

If you are not registered or you need to update your registration, you must do so by Monday, May 5, 2025. You can register to vote and update your personal information at vote.pa.gov.

A voter who needs an absentee ballot has to apply for one by using the online application or by filling out a paper application and sending it to your county board of elections.

• Find your county board of elections (note: this link takes you to the PA Dept. of State website)

The county board of elections must receive the application for a mail or absentee ballot by Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 5pm (the Tuesday before the election). The last day for county boards of elections to receive voted mail-in and civilian absentee ballots is Tuesday, May 20, 2025 (must be received by 8 P.M. A USPS postmark is not sufficient.).

• Find out more about absentee ballots, including emergency absentee ballots, on the PA Dept. of State website

If you or someone you know is having trouble registering to vote or being allowed to vote, please contact the ACLU of Pennsylvania at 877-745-ACLU (2258) or fill out this form.