Election Day in PGH: What you need to know
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
Welcome to your Election Day cheat sheet.
Why it matters: Control of Pennsylvania's state government is on the line Tuesday, and Pittsburgh could play a part in that shift.
🏆 Top of the ticket: The gubernatorial election is the premier race on the ballot.
- Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is seeking a second term and is challenged by Republican Stacy Garrity and Libertarian Ken Krawchuk.
- Yes, but: Shapiro has held significant leads in both fundraising and polls throughout the campaign.
📌 State races: All 203 seats in the state House are on the ballot and half of the 50 state Senate seats (those in even-numbered districts).
- Dems currently hold a majority in the House while the GOP maintains control of the Senate.
🔁 Between the lines: Democrats see a potential opening to flip the Senate and win a trifecta in state government — control of the House, Senate and governor's mansion — for the first time in over 30 years.
👀 Races to watch: Most swing districts are located in the eastern part of the state, but the Pittsburgh area has a few to follow.
- State Senate District 46 in Washington County has attracted a bevy of ad spending thanks to an intriguing independent challenge from Jodi Borello in Republican state Sen. Camera Bartolotta's conservative district.
- In the Moon area, the state House District 44 contest between Democrat Hadley Haas and Republican state Rep. Valerie Gaydos is the swingiest in the region.
- Races in state House District 12 in Cranberry and District 40 in the South Hills should also be on your radar.
🌉 In Allegheny County: Voters also face a ballot question of whether to give County Council members more flexibility to hire staff, open district offices and receive benefits.
🏛️ Congress: All members of the U.S. House are also up for election.
- That includes the 12th and 17th Congressional Districts — where Democratic Reps. Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio are heavily favored — and 14th and 16th Districts — where Republican Reps. Guy Reschenthaler and Mike Kelly are also favored.
- A handful of congressional races across Central and Eastern Pennsylvania will likely help determine the balance of power in Congress.
📨 Early voting: While many will head to the polls Tuesday in person, more than 1 million mail-in and absentee ballots had already been cast as of Monday, per the Department of State's website.
- Of those, Allegheny County contributed over 131,260 as of Monday, the most of any county in the state.
🗳️ How to vote: Polls are open Tuesday between 7am-8pm. Find your polling place here.
- Mail-in ballots must be received by election boards no later than 8pm on Election Day, but it's too late to send via the Postal Service.
- Turn in your mail-in ballot at the County Office Building at 542 Forbes Ave. Downtown between 7am-8pm Tuesday.
👀 What we're watching: Whether voters will turn out across the state.
- The last midterm election with the governor on the ballot in 2022 drew 54% of eligible voters.
Worth noting: Voting complaints can be filed with Pennsylvania's Department of State election department online here or by calling 1-877-VOTES-PA (1-877-868-3772).