2018 Pennsylvania Primary: What to Know Ahead of the Election

Hey, Philadelphia voters: The Pennsylvania primary is on Tuesday, and we hope you’re ready. If not, we’ve put together a handy little guide to get you prepared.

This particular primary is shaping up to be an exciting (and unprecedented) one, largely because of the congressional map changes this spring. Here’s what to look out for:

• A record number of candidates have filed to run for U.S. House in Pennsylvania, including a surge of women who say they want to shift the state’s male-dominated political landscape.
• Our eyes are on the competitive 5th Congressional District race and its 11 candidates (including 10 Democrats and one Republican).
• Three Republicans (Laura Ellsworth, Scott Wagner and Paul Mango) are vying to challenge Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in the fall. Ellsworth says she wants to be the state’s first woman governor.
• Montgomery County — the state’s third most-populous county — hasn’t had a resident as its Congressional representative in more than three years. Democratic candidates in the newly created 4th Congressional District (State Rep. Madeleine Dean, Shira Goodman and Joe Hoeffel) could change that.
• One of three ballot questions will ask whether the city should provide mandatory sexual harassment training for all city employees — but it’s unclear what the training would look like (or how much it would cost).

And here’s everything else you need to know:

• Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. If you’re wondering where to vote, just visit the city commissioner’s website and enter your address for information. (You’ll find a sample ballot there as well.) You can also check with the Pennsylvania Department of State.

2 days until the #PaPrimary. Your polling place did not change because of the new congressional districts. But, if you need a reminder, you can find your polling place at: https://t.co/bjDpjWStYB pic.twitter.com/gXMIpFnnWB

— PA Department of State (@PAStateDept) May 14, 2018

• If something goes wrong on voting day, you can report a complaint to the Department of State here. Otherwise, if you have any questions about voting in Philadelphia, you can call the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
• For information on individual candidates, check out of the Committee of Seventy’s voting guide.

Seventy's 2018 Voter Guide is LIVE and covers Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Learn about the candidates and get ready to vote on May 15! Find the Voter Guide on https://t.co/HeSfpq7Ue7: https://t.co/LV6ToNbbfY pic.twitter.com/JEv8i8N6l1

— Committee of Seventy (@Committeeof70) May 4, 2018

Otherwise, good luck out there!