Pa. election 2026: Primary voters are heading to the polls. Here’s what to know

Voters are heading to the polls today to cast ballots in Pennsylvania’s 2026 primary election. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Reporters from WHYY News and Billy Penn are following the state’s major campaigns, including the closely watched 3rd Congressional District race in Philadelphia and the 1st Congressional District race in Bucks County.

As Election Day unfolds, follow live special coverage on WHYY.org, the WHYY App and WHYY-FM.

Here’s your voter game plan

• Your one-stop shop: Live coverage, candidate guides and election results, all in one place.
• Voter FAQs: WHYY News’ Pa. voter guide has the answers you need about key deadlines, mail ballot information, candidate breakdowns, and more.
• Key races to watch: U.S. House
  • Pa.’s 3rd District in Philly: 4 Democrats — state Sen. Sharif Street, Pa. House Rep. Chris Rabb, Shaun Griffith, and Dr. Ala Stanford — seek to replace Dwight Evans in Congress.
  • Pa.’s 1st District in Bucks County: Bob Harvie and Lucia Simonelli seek to unseat U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
• Ballot questions: Here’s a breakdown of what to expect in Philly, as well as Horsham and Lower Salford townships in the suburbs.
• Counting the votes: Follow along with WHYY as primary election results come in this evening.

Still have your Pa. mail ballot? You can hand it in today

Hundreds of thousands of mail ballots were requested across Pennsylvania for the 2026 primary election.

Still holding onto yours? There are several ways to turn it in.

Mail ballot drop-off locations for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties can be found online.

If you have a mail ballot but prefer to vote in person, bring your ballot and the envelopes it came with and surrender it to a poll worker. Once you’ve surrendered your mail ballot and signed a declaration, you can cast a regular ballot.

If you requested a mail ballot but didn’t receive one, head to your polling place and ask for a provisional ballot. After Election Day, officials will verify you didn’t already vote by mail and count your ballot.

Mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Ballots postmarked by the deadline but arriving later will not count.