Election Day is here, folks! If you haven’t yet started your research, don’t panic — we’ve put together this step-by-step guide to help streamline the process.
🔍 Find Your Polling Place
Use the state’s lookup tool to find your polling place. Write down your precinct number so you know where to check in when you arrive, as polling places often serve multiple precincts.
🧑💻 Do Your Research
Obviously, the biggest race to have on your radar is the presidential election. There are also four other offices that you should be prepared to vote for: U.S. Senate, state Attorney General, state Auditor General, and state Treasurer.
You may want to dig a little deeper on the candidates’ backgrounds before you decide who’s getting your vote. Several local news outlets create voter guides that compile information about the candidates and offices.
- Billy Penn’s “procrastinator’s guide” combines all of the races and candidates on a single page.
- The Inquirer’s editorial board issued several endorsements in state and federal races.
- City Cast Philly put out a podcast explaining the state attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer races.
- City Cast Philly broke down the U.S. senate race in Pennsylvania between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican Dave McCormick.
🗳️ See Who’s On Your Ballot
The Committee of Seventy has an interactive voter guide you can use to see who and what is on the ballot in your specific precinct. (Or you can view a sample ballot through your county election office.) As you click through the interactive guide, you can pick candidates on a mock ballot to print or email to yourself.
☑️ Go Vote!
One final note: if you’ve recently moved and are voting in your polling place for the first time, don’t forget to bring a valid form of identification. And be sure to grab a “I voted” sticker on the way out because it can get you free beer as you watch the results.
