Pennsylvania

Your rights at the polls guide

Your Rights Under Federal Law

  • All voters have the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of race, national origin, or disability.
  • All voters have the right to vote free of intimidation.
  • All voters who need assistance by reason of disability or inability to read and write in the language of the ballot may choose someone to assist them to vote, as long as the person is not the judge of elections or an agent/representative of the voter’s employer or union.

Your Rights When You
Check-In To Vote

You can only be challenged as to three things:
  • Your identity
  • Your residence
  • Violation of voting processes in the polling place.
Nobody can challenge your right to vote based on bad faith.
  • Challenges must be made on a good faith basis.
  • Outside observers who are not qualified voters cannot challenge your vote.

You CANNOT be challenged as to your voter registration and voter eligibility.

Challengers CANNOT single out groups of people for challenges, such as only challenging residence of students.

Challenges CANNOT be based on:
  • Race, ethnicity, or national origin
  • Appearance
  • Surname
  • Language
  • Religion
  • Any other characteristics not relevant to the qualifications to vote.
After a challenge, you have the right to:
  • Produce a witness who is a qualified voter to attest to you as the challenged voter. The person and witness must also sign an affidavit attesting to the voter’s identity and residency.
  • If you are challenged and don’t have a witness who is a voter to attest to your identity or residency, as a last resort you CAN still vote with a provisional ballot.
  • Talk with the Judge of Elections at the polling place:
  • Judge of Elections decides all challenges based on whether a challenge rests on a good faith basis and is based on actual evidence.

Q&A: Your rights inside the polling place

01. What can poll workers ask me?
Poll workers CAN ask a voter to see their ID the first time they vote. The Judge of Elections may question and challenge a voter’s ID. If an ID is challenged, voters are allowed to cast a provisional ballot.
02. Who can I speak to if I am having any issues or problems with a poll worker?
Talk to the Judge of Elections. If that does not resolve the issue, call Election Protection.
03. I notice some poll watchers are taking photographs inside the polling place. Is that allowed?
No, poll watchers may not take photographs or videos of voters. This is an example of voter intimidation.
04. Who gets to decide who is inside the polling place?

Poll workers, and ultimately the Judge of Elections, determine who is allowed inside.

Poll watchers are not allowed inside the enclosed space of a polling place and may not engage in electioneering within 10 feet of the entrance. Police officers and military personnel are also not allowed within 100 feet of the polling place, unless these persons are going to the polling place to vote.

05. Who can I talk to if someone is trying to get in the way of me completing my ballot?
The voter should speak to the Judge of Elections.
06. What are my rights if I need help voting?
Voters are entitled to assistance. If a voter has a disability that requires assistance to vote, the voter may bring a person of their choice to help them vote. The person providing assistance may not be the Judge of Elections, a union representative, or an employer. A voter also has the right to designate an agent to deliver an absentee ballot for them.

Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Pennsylvania legal professional. Updated August 2024. Contact Fair Elections Center at
info@fairelection.codpixels.com

If you have questions or are experiencing problems voting, call the Election Protection Hotline and speak with a volunteer to get help.
  • Call in English: 866-OUR-VOTE
  • CALL in Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA
  • Call in Asian Languages: 888-API-VOTE
  • CALL in Arabic: 844-YALLA-US

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