It's nearly here. After four years, voters across the country will, once again, be able to cast a vote for their choice for who will be, as they say, the leader of the free world.
But, along with the upcoming presidential election, Pennsylvania voters will also be able to vote for a new attorney general, a senator and a number of U.S. representatives.
In Delaware, voters will be able to vote for president, a senator, the state's only U.S. representative and governor.
And, in New Jersey, voters will be able to vote for a senator and U.S. representatives, as well as participating in the presidential election.
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🗳️ But, before any candidates can claim victory, voters need to know what to do in order to do their civic duty on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024:
✅ When are polls open in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware?
- Polling places throughout Pennsylvania are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
- In Delaware, too, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
- In New Jersey, polls open an hour earlier, with polls open at 6 a.m. through 8 p.m. statewide on Election Day.
In New Jersey, early voting will open from Oct. 26, 2024 until Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
✅ Are you registered to vote?
Of course, you'll have be registered to vote. Click here to check your voter registration status.
If you're planning to vote remotely, make sure you've received a mail ballot and drop it into a drop box.
✅ I'm registered as an independent. Can I vote in the general election?
Yes.
Unlike the primary elections, independent voters in Philadelphia, and throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware are able to participate in every election that impacts their voting district. They will also get to weigh in on any ballot questions that might be presented.
✅ Where is my polling place in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware?
If you're planning to head to the polls, you need to know where your local polling place is.
Pennsylvania has set up an online tool to allow voters to easily figure out where their polling place is. Just put in your home address and you'll be told where you'll need to be to vote on Tuesday.
New Jersey also has a similar online portal to help connect voters with their polling places.
All polling places for each of Delaware's three counties are outlined here.
✅ Do I need to show ID at the polls?
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, only first-time voters or voters who are voting in a new polling place for the first time need to show some form of identification in order to vote.
These voters can find the approved forms of identification needed, here.
But, if you've voted at your polling place in previous elections, you won't be asked to show ID. You will, however, need to sign a voter log.
In Delaware, voters may be asked to present an ID in order to vote, however, they could sign a form confirming their identity. For details on this process, click here.
✅ Can I still vote by mail?
Now that Pennsylvania's Supreme Court rejected a bid to get independent presidential candidate Cornel West on the ballot for the November election, counties throughout the commonwealth can now begin printing mail-in ballots.
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Pennsylvania is Oct. 29, 2024 and all ballots must be returned by Election Day.
In New Jersey, requests for a mail-in ballot, if requested by mail, must be received by Oct. 29, 2024. But, if a request is made in person, voters have until Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, to make a request.
In Delaware, the last day to request a mail-in ballot is Friday, Nov. 1. However, to vote by mail in Delaware, voters must provide a reason that they need to vote by mail. For more details about how to absentee voting in Delaware, click here.
Voters who have mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania have to make sure the ballots are returned to their local board of elections by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.
Also, in Delaware, mail-in ballots must be returned by Tuesday, Nov. 5, if returning by mail or dropping them off in person.
Click here for a list of mail-in ballot drop-off locations in Philadelphia.
If you need to find a drop-off location outside of the city, you can find a list of ballot drop-box locations for the rest of the state here and throughout New Jersey, here.
In New Jersey, mail-in ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, if dropping off in person and must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 5, and received by Monday, Nov. 11, if returned by mail. FAQs on voting by mail in New Jersey.
If you have a blank mail-in ballot and have decided that you'd rather vote in person, you can bring an unused ballot and mail-in envelopes to your local polling place to have them voided.
You may then vote in person.
✅ How is Election Day voting integrity being protected?
If you head to your local polling place and feel threatened or intimidated -- or if you see issues that you feel could interfere with a free and fair election process -- the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has set up an Election Task Force to help ensure there are no issues that could hamper Tuesday's elections.
Starting when the polls open, voters can report any concerns to the task force by calling 215–686–9641.
Officials said that the task force will work with City commissioners and law enforcement groups to investigate any reported violations of the Pennsylvania Election Code and other criminal activity at polling locations.
Statewide, several counties have their own specific efforts in place to protect voting integrity. For example, Montgomery County just announced a new effort. Voters may want to check the election offices of their home counties to learn of these efforts.
In New Jersey, the attorney general's office has set up a way for voters to report concerns at polling places, as well.
Anyone who has issues voting in Delaware can send concerns and complaints to the State Election Commissioner.
✅ Do you know who is on your ballot in Pennsylvania?
You'll need to know what is on your ballot and who you'll be able to vote for.
The biggest race is the upcoming presidential election between former President and Republican candidate, Donald Trump, and Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
The differences between the two candidates are stark.
Trump, a real estate mogul and former president, is running with Vice Presidential candidate -- and Ohio Senator -- JD Vance, on a campaign focused on ending the "migrant invasion" with the "largest deportation operation in American history," as well as promising to end inflation, provide tax cuts, prevent World War III and other initiatives.
For her part, Harris -- who is running with Vice Presidential candidate and Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz -- is running on a campaign focused on creating an "opportunity economy," where she proposes tax cuts for middle class families, fighting inflation with a "crack down on anti-competitive practices that let big corporations jack up prices," lowering energy costs and investing in affordable child care, among other initiatives.
What will Pa. voters see on their ballots?
In Pennsylvania, voters will be able to elect a senator, members of the House of Representatives, a state auditor, and will determine the results of a number of state senatorial races.
Pa. Senator
In the senate race, voters will be able to opt for Democrat Bob Casey -- who has served in the office since 2007 -- and Republican David McCormick, who was once CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund and lost a run at the senate in 2022.
On his website, Casey pledges to be an "advocate for children," even creating the Five Freedoms for America's Children, a plan that hopes to provide policy change for the benefit of the country's youth. He also lists a focus on providing for seniors, ensuring rights for disabled Americans and boosting initiatives for job creation to improve the economy.
McCormick's site notes that, as an experienced CEO, he would use his experience in business to "rein in government spending, oppose tax increases, and exercise fiscal responsibility." He also lists border security, strengthening America's "military might," and a plan to "revamp" the educational system in a way that "unlocks the courageous, entrepreneurial American spirit."
Pa.'s 7th Congressional District
Another race of interest to the region is the race for Lehigh Valley's seventh congressional district. Here, Democrat Susan Wild, who has held the office since 2018, will face off against Republican Ryan Mackenzie.
Wild was the first woman elected to serve the Lehigh Valley in Congress and, her campaign site says, she brings a "working-class" ethic to the job. On the issues, Wild's campaign site says she looks to expand the Affordable Care Act to cover more Americans, increase support for veterans along with ensuring they can access PTSD and suicide prevention programs, increase resources for public schools and defend a woman's right to choose, among other initiatives.
Mackenzie is a state representative for Pennsylvania's 187th district. His campaign site lists Mackenzie's priorities as reducing government spending, securing the border -- and he hopes to "finish building the wall" -- supporting America's independence from foreign oil and implementing term limits for elected officials.
Along with these races, voters will be able to select an attorney general in a race between Democrat Eugene DePasquale, who formerly served as a state representative, and Dave Sunday, a Republican who currently serves as the district attorney for York County.
Voters will also be able to elect an auditor general and state treasurer.
What seats are up for grabs in the First State?
In Delaware, along with the much anticipated presidential election, voters will be able to vote for a senator and governor.
Del. Senator
The senator's race includes Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is currently Congresswoman in the state's at-large district. On her website, Blunt Rochester touts a history of service to the community and promises to "continue fighting to create good-paying jobs, protect abortion rights, ensure every vote is counted and deliver for the Delaware families she so proudly represents."
Republican Eric Hansen is also on the ballot for senator of Delaware. He's a former Wal-Mart executive whose website touts his inexperience in politics as a boon, claiming "Eric Hansen is NOT a politician. That’s a good thing." The site claims he's an outsider who wants to "stop the party bickering and put the needs of the people first."
Also, voters in Delaware have a third selection for senator in Mike Katz, an independent. His campaign site claims he "refuses all donations" and hopes to be "Delaware's first Independent U.S. Senator - dedicated to eradicating corruption and dismantling the influence of money ingrained in the very fabric of America's governance."
Del. Governor
In the race for governor in Delaware, voters have two options, Democrat Matt Meyer and Republican Michael Ramone.
In Meyer, voters have an army veteran who formerly worked as a middle school math teacher in Wilmington. He took office as New Castle County Executive in 2017 and, in his time in office, Meyer's campaign site claims he "has proven that the Delaware government can still work for the people, investing in education, expanding access to affordable housing, and standing up to the Trump Administration to deliver locally."
Ramone is a member of Delaware's House of Representatives, where he has served the 21st district since taking office in 2008. His campaign site says that Ramone has pushed for "common-sense" solutions since he has been in office and he says he's been "fighting to promote good governance, increase funding for classrooms and schools, and ease the tax burden on hardworking Delawareans."
What races are on the line in the Garden State?
Along with the presidential election, voters in New Jersey will be able to name a senator and a U.S. representative in the state's second district.
NJ Senator
In the senatorial race, voters will be able to select Democrat Andrew Kim, Republican Curtis Bashaw, Christina Khalil, a green party candidate, along with candidates from the socialist workers party, the libertarian party and the "vote better" party.
Kim is a U.S. representative in the state's third district, a role he's had since 2019, and was the first Democratic congressman of Korean descent. According to his campaign website, Kim is hoping to "restore integrity to politics," after the resignation of disgraced former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. His campaign site says Kim hopes to fight price gouging, "bring back the property tax deductions eliminated by Trump and lower housing costs by holding greedy developers accountable."
On the other side of the ballot, Republican candidate Bashaw is a real estate developer whose campaign site says he's looking to improve the economy by "lowering taxes and cutting regulations to bring jobs and manufacturing back from China." His site also calls for an end to the county's dependency on foreign oil, tax cuts for the middle class, reduced government spending and "common sense solutions to close our borders."
In this race, voters have a third option in independent candidate Christina Khalil. Khalil is a social worker and therapist, whose campaign site says, decided to run for office when she "noticed that our current elected leaders appeared detached from the reality of the current struggles that citizens of New Jersey face." Khalil's campaign site claims she hopes to improve immigration policy, invest in clean and renewable sources of energy, will push to establish universal healthcare and will support "myriad" plans to impact the housing crisis.
If you're unsure of what might be on your ballot, Vote411 -- a project of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters Education Fund -- has put together sample ballots for voters no matter where you live.
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