Erie, Pennsylvania Public Records

New registrants must provide a Pennsylvania driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number; first-time voters who register by mail may need to provide identification when voting. Same-day registration is not available in Pennsylvania. Erie operates under a Strong Mayor-Council form of government with a mayor and seven city council members elected in municipal elections. The mayor serves a four-year term; mayoral elections are held in odd-numbered years, with the most recent in November 2021 and the next scheduled for November 2025. City council members serve four-year staggered terms with some seats up for election every two years in odd-numbered years (2025, 2027, etc.). Municipal primary elections take place in May of odd-numbered years when contested, followed by general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Candidate filing deadlines and local ballot measures are posted on the Erie County Board of Elections website and at www.eriepa.gov. Residents can locate their assigned polling place using the Pennsylvania Department of State's polling place locator at www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/pollingplaceinfo.aspx by entering their address; polling locations are also listed on voter registration cards mailed by the Board of Elections. Polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on election day. Pennsylvania law allows no-excuse mail-in voting; any registered voter can request a mail-in or absentee ballot through the Erie County elections office online at www.eriecountypa.gov/departments/elections, by mail, or in person. Applications must be received by 5:00 PM the Tuesday before the election (7 days prior). Completed ballots must be received by the Erie County office by 8:00 PM on election day; postmarks do not extend the deadline. In the November 2024 presidential election, Erie County recorded approximately 130,000 votes cast from roughly 180,000 registered voters, representing approximately 72% turnout in this critical swing county that has historically predicted Pennsylvania's statewide results; the county narrowly supported Donald Trump in 2016, flipped to Joe Biden in 2020, and results in 2024 were closely contested. Looking ahead to Tuesday, November 3, 2026, voters will decide Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race (Governor Josh Shapiro's seat is up for election in 2026), as Pennsylvania governors serve four-year terms; voters will also elect the Pennsylvania Auditor General and State Treasurer, all Pennsylvania House of Representatives seats (203 districts with two-year terms), half of the Pennsylvania State Senate (25 of 50 districts with four-year staggered terms including Erie's seats in Senate Districts 49 and 50), one U.S. Senate seat (Pennsylvania Class III Senate seat currently held by a senator whose term expires January 2027), and numerous Erie County offices potentially including County Executive, County Council members, district attorney, sheriff, controller, and judges depending on the election cycle. Specific local ballot measures or city charter amendments may also appear if placed on the ballot by council or citizen petition. Pennsylvania election records that are publicly accessible include voter registration lists (available for purchase from county boards of elections for lawful purposes under 25 P.S. § 2631), campaign finance reports filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State viewable at www.campaignfinanceonline.pa.gov showing contributions and expenditures for state and county candidates, candidate petitions and filings maintained by the Board of Elections, and official precinct-level election results published by the county and state after certification. The Erie County Board of Elections posts unofficial results on election night and certified results within weeks at www.eriecountypa.gov/departments/elections. Historical election data for the area dating back decades is maintained in county archives and increasingly digitized for online access.