Election season is underway in Pennsylvania.
May 4 is the deadline to register to vote in the spring primary. Bucks County voters are set to select their nominees for U.S. representative in the 1st Congressional District and for state Senate.
Election Day is May 19, and in Pennsylvania, a closed primary state, only registered Democrats and Republicans or third party voters with a candidate on the ballot can vote.
If you aren’t sure how to register, check the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website, or fill out a registration form at the Bucks County Administration Buildings in Doylestown or in Lower Bucks County at the county annex in Bristol Township. Ask for a registration form, and staff members should direct you to the right office.
Indie voters Civic groups advocate opening Pennsylvania primaries to independents
State government agencies, including the state’s Department of Transportation and county offices such as area agencies on aging, offer additional locations for people to register.
How to check if you’re registered to vote in PA
Residents who don’t know if they’re registered to vote in Pennsylvania can check their status online. A tool on the pa.gov website also allows voters to update their registration, which is required if someone moves or changes their address, changes their name or wants to change their party.
Voter eligibility, detailed by the Department of State, require U.S. citizenship and residency in Pennsylvania.
The department’s Voter Education Toolkit has information for specific people, including college students, members of the military and civilians overseas, and first-time voters.
To find out who’s running, you can use vote411.org and customize it to your voting district.
Your local races A look at who’s running for PA House and Senate in Bucks County in ’26
Pennsylvania’s 2026 primary is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19.
Who is on the ballot in Bucks County, PA?
This spring, Bucks County voters have several big races, including for U.S. House of Representatives. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks, is running unopposed. Democrats may choose between the party’s endorsed candidate, Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, and Lucia Simonelli.
In Lower Bucks County’s 6th Senatorial District, state Sen. Frank Farry, R-Bucks, and Democratic candidate Eileen Hartnett Albillar run unopposed and are the presumed candidates on the November ballot.
In Lower Bucks County’s 140th State House of Representatives, incumbent state Rep. Jim Prokopiak, D-Bucks, and Republican candidate Michael J. Gettis are running unopposed and are expected to face off in the November general election as well.
Also in Lower Bucks, in the 142nd District incumbent state Rep. Joe Hogan, R-Bucks, and Democrat Kristin Egan are unopposed.
In the 16th Senatorial District representing part of Bucks County, state Rep. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh, is unopposed, but Democrats may choose between Mark Pinsley and Bradley Merkl-Gump as their nominee for the November election.
Important dates for the 2026 PA primary
May 4: Final day to register to vote.
May 12: Final day to apply for a mail ballot.
May 19: Primary. Polls are to be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
May 19, 8 p.m.: Deadline for all mail ballots to be received.
JD Mullane can be reached at jmullane@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: How to register to vote in PA before the 2026 primary deadline