PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Editor's note: The above video is from April 13.
Acting Secretary of State Leigh M. Chapman reminded eligible Pennsylvanians Tuesday that May 2 is the deadline to register to vote in the May primary, according to a press release.
Secretary Chapman also reminded Pennsylvanians that they can use the Online Voter Registration (OVR) site to register, calling it "a simple way to ensure their voices are heard."
Voters can access this tool in English, Spanish, and now traditional Chinese.
The OVR site can also be used to make updates to voters' existing records, such as a change of name, address or party affiliation, also according to the press release.
Applicants who do not have a driver’s license or Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) ID card can complete their registration online using the last four digits of their social security number and a feature that allows users to upload a digital copy of their signature.
“The right to vote is fundamental, and every eligible Pennsylvanian should have access to free and fair elections,” Secretary Chapman said in a statement.
To be eligible to vote in the May 17 primary, an individual must be:
- A U.S. citizen for at least one month before the primary.
- A resident of Pennsylvania and of the election district in which the individual plans to register and vote for at least 30 days before the primary.
- At least 18-years-old on or before the date of the primary.
Eligible voters can register through the mail or register to vote in person at the following places:
- County elections offices
- County assistance offices
- Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program offices
- PennDOT photo and drivers’ license centers
- Armed forces recruitment centers
- County clerk of orphans’ courts or register of wills offices
- Area agencies on aging
- County mental health and intellectual disabilities (MHID) offices
- Student disability services offices of the Pa. State System of Higher Education
- Offices of special education in high schools
- Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers
It's worth noting that Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, meaning only registered party members can participate in a political party's primary election; registered voters cannot vote across party lines.