Skip to page content
Power & PoliticsUnited States edition
Sections
Only your five-digit ZIP code is sent. We never ask for your address.
Independent · nonpartisan
Voting history · Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

A dated list of changes to how Americans vote: district maps, polling places and drop boxes, voting laws and rules, and courts and election officials. Each entry says who did what and when, shows what became of it, and links to the page it rests on. Attempts that failed are listed as failed. Entries that rest on a news report name the outlet.

This is the state view: events recorded for Pennsylvania, then national events that apply here. See the national timeline.

Congressional districts in Pennsylvania

Choose a district to see the events tagged to it. A number after the district is how many events name it.

Kind of event
Decade

In Pennsylvania

2026

  1. Oct 27, 2026 County Polling places and drop boxes In effect

    Luzerne County extends drop-box hours in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton before the November 3 election

    Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo announced at the county council meeting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, that mail-ballot drop boxes at the county's Penn Place Building in Wilkes-Barre and at Hazleton City Hall would be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Monday before the election, the Standard-Speaker reports. The paper says the Hazleton drop box is not available on Election Day, while the Wilkes-Barre drop boxes are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day, and that the sheriff's office staffs and secures the drop-box sites.

    Source last checked Oct 29, 2026

  2. October 2026 County Polling places and drop boxes Reported

    Justice Department tells Pennsylvania it will send election monitors to Allegheny, Lehigh, Luzerne and Philadelphia counties

    The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported on October 26, 2026 that the U.S. Department of Justice notified Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt the previous week that it plans to send federal election monitors to polling places in Allegheny, Lehigh, Luzerne and Philadelphia counties on November 3. It quoted the department's letter: "Our monitors only observe and take notes." The letter said monitors will introduce themselves to poll managers, will not wear uniforms or pins identifying the department, will not speak with voters inside polling places and may not carry firearms. Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo said monitors also came to the county in 2022 and 2024 and that under state law they may monitor but not go into polling places.

    Counties: Allegheny County, Lehigh County, Luzerne County, Philadelphia County

    Related: Justice Department begins notifying counties it wants to monitor on Election Day 2026

    Source last checked Oct 26, 2026

  3. October 2026 County Polling places and drop boxes Decided by a court

    Westmoreland County Election Board moves polling places; commissioners do not take up a Greensburg drop box

    The Latrobe Bulletin reported on October 8, 2026 that the Westmoreland County Election Board approved polling-place changes for the November election in Latrobe, Unity Township and Mount Pleasant Township, plus changes in Monessen, Irwin, New Kensington and Lower Burrell, which the elections director said were mainly due to buildings closing or being unavailable. At the same meeting, a motion by Commissioner Ted Kopas to add a ballot drop box in Greensburg died for lack of a second from the other two commissioners, who said drop boxes used in the county from 2020 to 2023 were underused compared with their cost.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

  4. Sep 10, 2026 County Polling places and drop boxes Enacted

    Centre County Board of Elections moves polling places after accessibility reviews

    StateCollege.com reported on September 16, 2026 that the Centre County Board of Elections on September 10 approved moving the polling places for six precincts (5, 20, 66, 80, 89 and 91) for the November 3 election, after the first phase of an accessibility audit of 15 polling places by Dan Willis Architecture, which the commissioners hired in October 2025 under a contract of $10,500. WPSU reported on October 28, 2026 that eight precincts in all have new polling places for the November 3 election (1, 5, 20, 66, 80, 88, 89 and 91), and that Commissioner Mark Higgins, vice-chair of the board of elections, said the county moved them after a Justice Department accessibility review of 20 of its 86 polling places during the 2022 election, rather than ask the host churches, nonprofits and businesses to pay for changes.

    Source last checked Oct 29, 2026

  5. January 2026 County Polling places and drop boxes Enacted

    Delaware County Board of Elections consolidates 88 precincts for the May 2026 primary

    The Delaware County Elections report of January 29, 2026 says the county had 428 precincts through 2025, averaging 958 voters each, and that its Board of Elections consolidated 88 precincts (41 pairs and two trios) in January 2026. The plan was authorized by the Board in January 2025, pursued through hearings in the Court of Common Pleas in 2025, and reviewed by the Pennsylvania Department of State. The consolidations take effect at the May 19, 2026 primary.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

2025

  1. Sep 26, 2025 County Polling places and drop boxes Decided by a court

    Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules Washington County's no-notice policy for rejected mail ballots violated voters' due process rights

    State Court Report reported that on September 26, 2025 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided Center for Coalfield Justice v. Washington County Board of Elections, holding that a policy of giving no notice to voters whose mail-in ballots were disqualified as defective, and giving the misimpression that they could not vote provisionally, violated their due process rights.

    Related: Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules voters whose mail ballots were rejected may cast provisional ballots that must be counted

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

2024

  1. Nov 5, 2024 County Polling places and drop boxes Decided by a court

    Cambria County voting hours extended two hours after machines could not scan ballots

    NBC10 Philadelphia reported that on Election Day, November 5, 2024, Cambria County filed for emergency relief after a software malfunction kept voting machines from scanning completed ballots, and the county court extended voting hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., with votes cast after 8 p.m. to be by provisional ballot.

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

  2. Oct 30, 2024 County Polling places and drop boxes Decided by a court

    Judge extends mail-ballot-on-demand voting in Bucks County to November 1 after voters were turned away

    CBS Philadelphia reported that on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 a Bucks County Court of Common Pleas judge ruled the county's Board of Elections violated the Pennsylvania Election Code by turning away voters who sought to apply for and receive a mail ballot before the 5 p.m. October 29 deadline. The order let voters apply for, receive, vote and return a mail-in ballot until close of business on November 1. The Trump and McCormick campaigns had sued.

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

2022

  1. Nov 8, 2022 County Polling places and drop boxes Settled

    Luzerne County runs short of ballot paper on Election Day; polls kept open two extra hours

    Spotlight PA reported that on Election Day 2022 a judge kept polls open for two extra hours in Luzerne County after ballot paper shortages stopped voting in 16 of its 143 polling locations. A federal lawsuit filed in March 2023 by two voters who could not vote at polling places in Freeland and Shickshinny was settled in October 2024: the county agreed to pay $30,000 in litigation expenses and to train election workers, including on ordering enough paper.

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

  2. Apr 13, 2022 County Polling places and drop boxes Enacted

    Lancaster County Board of Elections removes its only ballot drop box

    FOX43 reported on April 14, 2022 that the Lancaster County Board of Elections decided on Wednesday, April 13, after two days of discussion, to remove the county's sole drop box for mail-in ballots, which had been inside the county government center in Lancaster since 2020. The station reported the box served about 344,000 registered voters. The board's chair, Commissioner Ray D'Agostino, said no one was denied access to the box and that ballots were returned without a drop box for about 100 years, up until 2019; the county Democratic Party chair, Diane Topakian, called the move a blow to seniors.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

2007

  1. Apr 26, 2007 County Polling places and drop boxes Settled

    Justice Department and Philadelphia settle over language assistance and equal access for minority voters

    The Justice Department states that on October 13, 2006 it sued the City of Philadelphia under Sections 203 and 208 of the Voting Rights Act for failing to establish an effective Spanish bilingual program and for denying limited-English proficient voters their assistor of choice. On April 26, 2007 it filed an amended complaint, adding claims under Sections 2 and 4(e) of the Voting Rights Act and the Help America Vote Act, together with a signed settlement agreement.

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

2003

  1. Aug 20, 2003 County Polling places and drop boxes Decided by a court

    Federal court orders protections for Hispanic voters in Berks County after Justice Department suit

    The Justice Department states that in United States v. Berks County it alleged the county discriminated against Hispanic, primarily Puerto Rican, voters through hostile treatment at the polls, inadequate language assistance and refusal to let voters bring assistors of their choice, in violation of Sections 2, 4(e) and 208 of the Voting Rights Act. The court granted a preliminary injunction on March 18, 2003 and permanent relief on August 20, 2003, and federal observers monitored later elections.

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

Nationwide

2026

  1. Oct 20, 2026 National Polling places and drop boxes Reported

    Justice Department begins notifying counties it wants to monitor on Election Day 2026

    NPR reported on October 21, 2026 that the Justice Department began notifying counties it wants to monitor on Election Day starting Tuesday, October 20. NPR confirmed notices to Adams County, Colorado; seven counties in Texas; King County, Washington; Miami-Dade County, Florida; and Hennepin and Ramsey counties in Minnesota. NPR reports that state officials were at first not notified at the same time as counties, and that a department spokesperson said it prioritizes places with competitive elections and would monitor Adams County because it is covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. Colorado's Secretary of State's office told NPR it was considering how to respond, since state rules require observers to have its permission unless a court orders otherwise.

    Related: Justice Department tells Marion County it will send election monitors on November 3; Lake County also named · Justice Department plans election monitors in Bibb, Chatham, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties · Washington County Election Commission votes to keep Justice Department monitors out of polling places · Justice Department says it will send 1,000 election monitors across all 50 states

    Source last checked Oct 22, 2026

  2. October 2026 National Polling places and drop boxes Reported

    Justice Department says it will send 1,000 election monitors across all 50 states

    The Alaska Beacon (States Newsroom) reported on October 29, 2026 that the Justice Department announced that week that it plans to deploy 1,000 federal monitors across all 50 states for the November 3, 2026 election, and that a department spokesperson said the full list of monitored locations will not be disclosed until Election Day. The report says that in the 2022 midterm elections the department sent monitors to 64 jurisdictions in 24 states.

    Related: Justice Department begins notifying counties it wants to monitor on Election Day 2026

    Source last checked Oct 31, 2026

  3. Sep 18, 2026 National Polling places and drop boxes Pending

    Civil rights and labor groups sue over possible federal immigration agents near polling places

    On September 18, 2026, a coalition of nine civil rights and union groups sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to prevent the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling locations in November. States Newsroom reported it as the second such suit that month. The groups argue the policy violates the federal law that bars "armed men" at election sites and the Voting Rights Act's bar on intimidation. A Justice Department spokesperson said: "The DOJ has never said it would send federal law enforcement to polling locations." A Homeland Security spokesperson said ICE was not planning operations that targeted polling locations. No ruling is recorded here.

    Related: Latino and voting groups and the City of Denver sue over armed immigration agents at polling places · Arlington County sues to keep armed federal agents away from its polling places

    Source last checked Oct 21, 2026

  4. Sep 10, 2026 National Polling places and drop boxes Pending

    Latino and voting groups and the City of Denver sue over armed immigration agents at polling places

    On September 10, 2026, the League of United Latin American Citizens, Common Cause, Common Cause Education Fund, UnidosUS and the City and County of Denver, Colorado filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (No. 1:26-cv-03157) against the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and their leaders. The complaint alleges that the Homeland Security Secretary's statements of September 1, 2026 set a policy of authorizing armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to go to polling places, which the plaintiffs say violates 18 U.S.C. § 592, the law that bars federal officials from keeping "any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held" except to repel armed enemies of the United States. No ruling is recorded in this entry.

    Related: Civil rights and labor groups sue over possible federal immigration agents near polling places

    Source last checked Oct 21, 2026

2025

  1. Oct 24, 2025 National Polling places and drop boxes In effect

    Justice Department announces it will monitor polling sites in six California and New Jersey counties

    On October 24, 2025, the Justice Department announced that it would monitor polling sites ahead of the November 4, 2025 general election in six jurisdictions: Passaic County, New Jersey, and Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange and Los Angeles counties, California. The release says the Civil Rights Division would deploy personnel who would coordinate with U.S. Attorney's Offices.

    Source last checked Oct 29, 2026

2021

  1. Feb 10, 2021 National Polling places and drop boxes In effect

    Election Assistance Commission adopts Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0

    The Election Assistance Commission says that on February 10, 2021 its commissioners unanimously adopted version 2.0 of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines, the specifications against which voting systems are tested. The EAC says it stopped using versions 1.0 and 1.1 to certify voting systems as of November 16, 2023, and that previously certified systems are not decertified by that change.

    Related: Help America Vote Act of 2002 becomes law

    Source last checked Oct 29, 2026

2017

  1. Jan 6, 2017 National Polling places and drop boxes In effect

    Homeland Security designates election infrastructure as critical infrastructure

    On January 6, 2017, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he had determined "that election infrastructure in this country should be designated as a subsector of the existing Government Facilities critical infrastructure sector." The statement defines election infrastructure as including "storage facilities, polling places, and centralized vote tabulations locations" and voter registration databases and voting machines.

    Source last checked Oct 29, 2026

1984

  1. Sep 28, 1984 National Polling places and drop boxes Enacted

    Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act becomes law

    Public Law 98-435, dated September 28, 1984, is titled "To improve access for handicapped and elderly individuals to registration facilities and polling places for Federal elections."

    Source last checked Oct 22, 2026

How this timeline is built

Every entry rests on at least one source that was opened and read, and that source states the date and the fact. Courts, legislatures, election offices, the Justice Department, the Census Bureau, the Federal Register and Congress.gov come first. A news report is used only when no official page states the fact, and it is labeled with the outlet's name. Encyclopedias are not used as sources. History starts in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. County names come from the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer. Congressional district numbers are those in use for the 2026 election; an event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district.

When a later event changes an earlier one, such as a law later struck down, both entries are listed and point to each other. This page does not predict outcomes or say which party a change helps. U.S. House maps for 2026 · Back to the 2026 voting center.