Pennsylvania Primary

The 2008 Pennsylvania primary election will be held on Tuesday, April 22, 2008. On the ballot are candidates for U.S. President and Vice President, U.S. Congress, PA Attorney General, PA Auditor General, PA State Treasurer, and PA state legislature.

Registration Deadline

Pennsylvania residents have until March 24, 2008 to register to vote or to switch parties for the 2008 Pennsylvania Primary.

Primary Polling Times & Locations

Polls in Pennsylvana are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The location of your polling place is listed on your voter's identification card.

Who Can Vote in the Pennsylvania Primary?

Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, which means that only registered Republicans can vote in the state Republican Primary, and only registered Democrats can vote in the state Democratic Primary. In other words, you can only vote for a candidate in your party. Pennsylvania Election Code 25 P.S. 229 states:

"No elector enrolled and registered as a member of any one particular party shall be allowed to receive or vote the ballot of any other political party at a primary election, and no elector who is not enrolled and registered as a member of some political party shall be permitted to vote at any primary election."

Pennsylvania residents who are not registered members of either major party (Independent, etc.) cannot vote for candidates in the Pennsylvania Primary. However, all registered voters may vote for ballot questions, constitutional amendments, or concurrent special elections that may be on the primary ballot.

Identification

If you are voting in a new polling place for the first time, you must show an approved form of identification prior to voting.

Presidential Primary - Number of Delegates

187 delegates are at stake for the Democratic Party, including 29 "super delegates." Of this group, 103 delegates will be allocated in the state's 19 congressional districts based on the presidential preference indicated by voting in each district. In June, the Democratic State Committee will select the remaining 55 delegates based on the statewide presidential primary vote. The Republican Party has 74 delegates in Pennsylvania. 61 of these delegates are elected by voters in the Pennsylvania Primary, and 10 more are chosen by the Republican State Committee. Three delegates are automatically selected based on their service on the Republican National Committee. Each Republican delegate is allowed to support the candidate of their choice, irrespective of voting results in the GOP primary.