Here's who you can expect to see on the ballot in Pa. this fall

Bruce Siwy, Erie Times-News
·3 min read

State judicial races are headlining the ballot this year in the commonwealth.

This election includes the selection of a new justice for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Voters are also tasked with choosing two additional judges for the lower courts.

Election Day is Nov. 7.

Pa. primary election results 2023

In the race to fill a vacancy on the state Supreme Court, Pennsylvanians will decide between Democrat Dan McCaffery of Philadelphia and Republican Carolyn Carluccio of Blue Bell. McCaffery is a military veteran who is now on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania bench, and Carluccio is a former assistant U.S. attorney who in 2022 became Montgomery County's first female president judge.

McCaffery won the Democratic primary over Deborah Kunselman with 60% of the vote, while Carluccio defeated Patricia McCullough with 54% in the primary.

A pair of Superior Court seats are also on the line. The Democrats on the ballot are Jill Beck, a Pittsburgh lawyer, and Timika Lane, a Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas judge. The Republicans are Maria Battista, a former Venango County assistant district attorney, and Harry Smail Jr., a Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas judge.

Additionally, Superior Court Judges Jack Panella and Victor Stabile are up for a retention vote.

Pennsylvanians will select "yes" or "no" regarding whether they should continue to serve as judge, respectively. The final day for the judges to withdraw from consideration is Sept. 7.

In a contest for the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, the ballot will feature Democrat Matthew Wolf and Republican Megan Martin.

Wolf, a judge with the Philadelphia Municipal Court, won his primary over Bryan Neft with 57% of the vote. Martin, a Cumberland County lawyer who did legal work for the U.S. Navy, defeated Joshua Prince in the spring with 63% support.

How will voting work?

Pennsylvania law permits voters to cast a ballot in person or via mail.

Those voting for the first time, or for the first time at a new polling place, are required to show their ID. Polls are open Nov. 7 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The Pennsylvania Department of State offers an online tool to help voters find their polling place.

Mail-in and civilian absentee ballots must be requested of the voter's county election board by Oct. 31 and are due on Election Day. County election offices must receive these ballots before 8 p.m. Nov. 7 in order for them to be counted.

Military and overseas absentee ballots must be submitted for delivery by Nov. 6 and received by Nov. 14.

How do I register to vote?

The final day to register to vote before the election is Oct. 23. Pennsylvanians can register online, by mail or at government agencies, such as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's photo license and driver’s license centers.

In order to register, individuals must:

  • Be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the election.

  • Be a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district for at least 30 days before the election.

  • Be at least 18 years old on or before the day of the election.

Next presidential election date

The presidential election doesn't take place until 2024r. Incumbent President Joe Biden is being challenged from within the Democratic Party by leftist Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic and nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy.

On the Republican side, former President Donald Trump is the frontrunner in a primary race against several contenders including:

Progressive activist and scholar Cornel West is seeking the presidency as a member of the People's Party, an “independent party that will guarantee health care, housing, quality education, and peace to all.”

Bruce Siwy is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Pennsylvania state capital bureau. He can be reached at bsiwy@gannett.com or on Twitter at @BruceSiwy.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: When is Election Day 2023? Pa. primary results