The balance of power in the state Legislature and Congress are at stake in the upcoming election, and Lehigh Valley voters will head to the polls to choose their party’s candidates for state and federal House.
Monday, May 4, is the deadline to register to vote in the May 19 primary election. Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, which means only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in their respective party’s primary. (Voters in any party or who have no party can vote on ballot questions, but there are none in the upcoming primary.)
May 4 is also the deadline to change your voter registration, should you want to update your address, change your party registration or make other changes.
Here’s what you need to know about voting in the primary election.
CANDIDATES AND ISSUES
There are only five contested races in the Lehigh Valley on May 19, but they’re important ones.
U.S. Congress – 7th District
Democrats will choose one of four candidates to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in November for the 7th District congressional seat.
Running for the nomination are former Bethlehem firefighter Bob Brooks, former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, former Northampton County Executive Lamont G. McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine, a former PPL executive.
Pa. state Senate – 16th District
Democrats in the 16th state Senate district will choose their candidate for the November election, between Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley and Bradley Merkl-Gump, a social studies teacher and Pennridge School Board member.
The winner will face Republican incumbent Jarrett Coleman, who is unopposed in his party’s primary.
Election 2026: Meet the 2 Democrats running to face Sen. Jarrett Coleman in November
Pa. state House – 22nd District
Democrats Ana Tiburcio, the sitting representative who won a special election for the seat in February, and Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach are vying for a full term in the seat representing parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township.
Republican Robert Smith is running unopposed in his party’s primary.
Pa. state House – 187th District
Democrats Rachel Marie Guynh-Cuevas, who describes herself as a working mom and community leader, and Geoffrey Whitcomb, a local pastor and music teacher, are seeking the nomination to represent Heidelberg, Lower Macungie, Lynn, Washington and Weisenberg townships; part of Upper Macungie Township; Alburtis and Macungie.
The seat is currently held by Republican Gary Day, who is running unopposed in his party’s primary.
Statewide races
Lehigh Valley Republicans have just one primary race to decide: that for lieutenant governor — Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey, who has the backing of Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity, and UPS executive John Ventre.
Lehigh Valley and Pa. primary election 2026: Here’s who has filed to run in key races
HOW TO VOTE
When is Election Day?
The primary election is Tuesday, May 19. The general election is Nov. 3.
Who can vote in the Pennsylvania primary?
Pennsylvania has a closed primary, which means only Republicans and Democrats can vote for candidates in their respective primaries.
All registered voters also can vote if there is a special ballot question, however, there are no such questions in Lehigh or Northampton counties this election.
Registering to vote
The deadline to register to vote or make changes to your registration is Monday, May 4. You can check your registration status at vote.pa.gov, or at your local election office.
In Lehigh County, voter registration is available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday at the Lehigh County Voter Registration Office, 17 S. Seventh St., Allentown.
In Northampton County, the voter registration office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in the lower level of the main courthouse, 669 Washington St., Easton.
Northampton County also is holding voter services pop-ups at the following locations. (Note: Voter registration is only available at the first two events):
• Northampton County Community College, second floor of the Student Life Zone, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28
• Lafayette College, Farinon Student Center, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 30
• Upper Mount Bethel Township Municipal Building, 4-7 p.m. May 5
• Lower Saucon Township Municipal Building, 9 a.m. to noon May 8
Voter registration is also available at county assistance offices; Women, Infants & Children program offices; PennDOT photo and drivers’ license centers; Armed Forces recruitment centers; county clerk of orphans’ courts or marriage license offices; area agencies on aging; county mental health and intellectual disabilities offices; student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education; offices of special education in high schools; and Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers.
If you’re unsure of your voter registration status, go to the Department of State Voting FAQ page.
Where can I vote?
Northampton County recently implemented a county-wide redistricting plan, approved by the Common Pleas court. That means many residents may see new or expanded polling districts.
Northampton County residents can check their polling place at NorthamptonVotes.com.
In Lehigh County, check your polling place at lehighcounty.org/Departments/Voter-Registration/Polling-Places.
Voting by mail
All registered voters have the option to vote by mail in Pennsylvania for any reason; ballots can be requested online at vote.pa.gov or in person at the counties’ election offices.
Applications must be received by 5 p.m. May 12.
Voted mail ballots must be received by county election offices, either by mail or in person, by 8 p.m. Election Day. Postmarks do not count.
Ballots must be signed, dated and inserted into included security envelopes before being placed in the return envelopes.
Voters must drop off their own mail ballots unless a certification has been signed giving that task to someone else due to disability or another reason.
If you’ve received a mail ballot but decide to vote in person, bring your incomplete mail ballot to the polling place and you’ll be able to vote. If you don’t bring your mail ballot, you should still be allowed to vote in person by provisional ballot.
If you applied for a ballot but never received one, or your mail ballot was not accepted, you can go to your polling place and vote by provisional ballot.
Do I need to show ID at the polls?
Only if you are voting at a polling location for the first time. Otherwise, identification is not required to vote in Pennsylvania.
How can I check my registration?
The answer to this and other questions about voting can be found on the Department of State Voting FAQ page.
Where can I drop off my mail ballot?
Mail ballots can be dropped off at the county board of elections by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Both Northampton and Lehigh counties have drop boxes set up at locations throughout the counties.
Northampton County had not released the locations of its mail ballot drop boxes as of April 27, but ballots can be dropped off at the county elections office or at one of the pop-up locations above.
In Lehigh County, boxes can be found at:
• Whitehall Township Municipal Building, 3219 MacArthur Road. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
• Lehigh County Authority (lobby), 1053 Spruce Road, Lower Macungie Township. 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Monday-Friday.
• Fountain Hill Borough Building, 941 Long St. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
• Lehigh County Government Center (main entrance), 17 S. Seventh St., Allentown. Available 24/7 until Election Day.
• Macungie Borough Building, 21 Locust St. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Make sure you follow all directions printed on the mail ballot, and only drop off your ballot. If you are unable to drop off your ballot, you can fill out a Certificate of Designated Agent form, found at www.vote.pa.gov.
I received a mail ballot but want to vote in person. Can I?
Yes. Bring the mail ballot — including all envelopes — to your polling place. You will be allowed to vote in person.
I applied for a mail ballot but didn’t receive it. What do I do?
Go to your polling place. You will be given a provisional ballot to vote.
What’s a provisional ballot and who gets one?
Provisional ballots are given to voters when their eligibility to vote can’t immediately be determined, such as when your name isn’t in the poll book, or you cannot show identification when required to.
Voters who completed an absentee or mail-in ballot that was rejected also can complete a provisional ballot at the polls.
Provisional ballots are counted within seven days after an election, once voter eligibility is determined.