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Civic education library
Plain-English guides to how Pennsylvania elections and government actually work. All free, always free. No sign-up required.
01
How Pennsylvania elections work
Election dates, voting methods, and what happens on and after Election Day.
02
Primary vs. general election - and why PA's closed primary matters
Only registered Democrats can vote in the D primary, only Rs in the R primary. Independents are shut out of primaries unless for ballot questions.
03
What each elected office actually does
Governor, US Senator, US Rep, State Senator, State Rep - a plain-English breakdown.
04
Campaign finance basics: where does candidate money come from?
Individual donors, PACs, party committees, dark money. A plain-English primer.
05
How to register to vote - the complete walk-through
Online, in person, by mail. Check your status, update your address, update your party.
More articles coming soon
- How bills become laws in Pennsylvania
- How to read a sample ballot
- What a judicial retention vote is
- How PA redistricting works
- Your rights at the polling place