How to register to vote, find a polling place in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware before Election Day
Election Day 2026 is now less than a month away, and if you need to register to vote or apply for a mail-in ballot, time is ticking.
There's a gubernatorial election in Pennsylvania, and the entire House of Representatives is up for a vote, with races to watch in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
If you want to participate, you need to be registered — and if you don't want to vote at your polling place, you'll need to apply to vote by mail.
We're going to set you up for success with some key deadlines to know ahead of Election Day.
How do I register to vote in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and what's the deadline?
Voter registration deadlines vary across the Philadelphia area, but you still have a bit of time.
Delaware
Delaware automatically registers voters at the DMV, so you might already be registered. You can check your status online at the Delaware Department of State's voter portal.
If you need to register, you can find your options here on Elections.Delaware.gov.
The deadline to register is Saturday, Oct. 10.
New Jersey
Here's where to find details on registering to vote online or by paper form in New Jersey.
You can check your registration status here on the New Jersey Department of State website.
The deadline to register is Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Pennsylvania
You can find information about registering to vote here on the Pennsylvania Department of State website.
The deadline to register is Monday, Oct. 19.
How do I apply for a mail-in ballot and what's the deadline?
Pennsylvania
You have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 27 to apply for a mail-in ballot. Your county election office must receive your application before that deadline.
You can fill out the application online at PAVoterServices.PA.gov, by mail, or in person at your county election office.
You can get more details on the process here.
If you want to hand-deliver your mail ballot, there are details on ballot dropboxes here on the state website. Remember, your county election office needs to receive the ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
New Jersey
The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 27.
You can fill out an application for a mail ballot online, or apply in person at your county clerk's office by 3 p.m. on Election Day.
Once you've filled out your mail-in ballot, you can take it to your county elections office or find a dropbox in your county.
Remember, your county election office needs to receive the ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Delaware
Delaware's laws on mail-in voting are narrower than those of the other two states in this article. The First State allows absentee ballots to be sent by mail, but you need a valid reason to be eligible for voting by absentee ballot.
Those accepted reasons include public service out of state, a vacation that coincides with Election Day, and sickness or a disability.
You can read more about the process on Elections.Delaware.gov. Once you receive and fill out your ballot, you can either mail or hand-deliver it to the county elections office.
The absentee ballot application deadline is Oct. 30, 2026.
When do polls open on Election Day?
New Jersey
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Pennsylvania
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Delaware
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
How do I find my polling place?
Pennsylvania
To find your polling place in Pennsylvania, visit PAVoterServices.pa.gov and use the "find your polling place" tool.
New Jersey
To find your polling place in New Jersey, enter the address and ZIP code where you are registered into this polling place search tool.
Delaware
In Delaware, you can enter your address on this polling place lookup tool, and the tool will tell you your polling place.
Can I vote early? How and when do I vote early?
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania doesn't have early voting at polling places, but if you want to vote early, you can apply for a mail-in ballot in person and vote that ballot the same day.
To do this, you'll first need to make sure your county elections office has ballots available. A list of the counties with available ballots is here.
New Jersey
In New Jersey, your county will make early voting locations available from Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1. You can find a list of locations here.
These locations are open for early voting from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, they close two hours earlier, at 6 p.m.
Delaware
Early voting in Delaware begins Oct. 22, 2026, at 7 a.m.
You can check here for a list of early voting sites in your county.
Below is the full schedule for early voting in Delaware:
- Oct. 22, 2026 – Oct. 24, 2026, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Oct. 25, 2026 – NO EARLY VOTING
- Oct. 26, 2026 – Oct. 27, 2026, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Oct. 28, 2026 – Nov. 1, 2026, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
