Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania Public Records

Registration requires a Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. While Pennsylvania offers same-day registration in limited situations, most voters must register in advance. First-time voters may need to show identification at the polls. As an incorporated borough, Clarks Summit holds municipal elections for borough council, mayor, and other local positions. The seven-member borough council serves four-year staggered terms, with elections falling in odd-numbered years during the municipal cycle. November 2025 will bring the next municipal election, when voters will choose borough council members and potentially the mayor, depending on which terms are expiring. Information about local candidates and sample ballots can be found through the Lackawanna County elections website and the Borough of Clarks Summit municipal building. Residents also vote for Abington Heights School District school board members. Voters can locate their assigned polling place using the Pennsylvania Department of State's tool at www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/pollingplaceinfo.aspx by entering their street address and zip code. The borough typically maintains several polling locations divided by precinct. Pennsylvania law makes various election records publicly available, including voter registration lists (which can be purchased for political purposes), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and committees (accessible through the Pennsylvania Department of State website), candidate filings and nomination petitions, and precinct-level results. The county Board of Elections posts detailed results by precinct after each election. During the November 2024 presidential election, Lackawanna County had approximately 140,000 registered voters with turnout surpassing 65%, demonstrating the strong civic participation that characterizes this swing region of Pennsylvania. The county leaned narrowly Democratic but remained competitive. On November 3, 2026, voters in Clarks Summit and throughout Lackawanna County will decide several significant races: the Pennsylvania gubernatorial election (the current Governor's term expires in 2027), all state House of Representatives seats (which carry two-year terms), half of the state Senate (including District 20 if that cycle includes it), Lackawanna County executive and council positions, county row offices such as district attorney and sheriff if those elections are scheduled, and possibly local magisterial district judge seats. The U.S. Senate won't appear on Pennsylvania's 2026 ballot since both senators were elected in 2022 and 2024, but every U.S. House seat will be contested. Pennsylvania's Act 77 established no-excuse mail-in voting, allowing Clarks Summit residents to request ballots through the Lackawanna County Board of Elections website, by mail, or in person at the elections office. Applications must arrive by 5:00 PM the Tuesday before Election Day. Completed ballots must be returned by 8:00 PM on Election Day itself, either by mail (though postmarks don't matter; the ballot must actually arrive by the deadline), in person at the elections office, or at designated drop boxes. Pennsylvania generally doesn't allow ballot curing, so voters need to follow instructions carefully.