October 05, 2016
State officials are reporting a voter surge as Pennsylvania residents prepare to fill out their ballots before the Nov. 8 election.
Governor Tom Wolf's Office announced that 325,168 state residents have applied in September to ensure their ability to vote in the upcoming election.
A majority of those residents - 172,256 in all - utilized the state's new online voter registration. Of those potential voters, 122,021 people registered for the first time while 50,235 updated their registration. An additional 152,912 residents used the old-fashioned paper form last month.
The state's online voter registration launched in August 2015 and recently celebrated its 500,000th user. Wolf and Secretary of State Pedro Cortés credit the effort for making it more convenient for eligible voters.
With less than one week to go until the Oct. 11 deadline, the number of last-month registrations has already surpassed the previous two presidential elections. State officials reported that 284,236 people applied in September 2008 and 186,449 applied in September 2012.
If you aren't registered to vote already, here are your options to do so:
- Register online on the Department of State website.
- Text the word "PA" to "2Vtote" (28683) on your smartphone to receive a link to register.
- Visit your county’s election and voter registration officials. Find the location in your county here.
- Visit your local Driver's License Center. A list of locations can be found on PennDOT's website here.
- Mail this application to your County Voter Registration Office by Oct. 11.
For more information on how to register to vote, click here.
