Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Public Records

Residents can visit the office Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with extended hours added before major elections. Pennsylvania residents register to vote online at register.votespa.com, the official state portal. The registration deadline falls 15 days before any election. Voters must be U.S. Citizens, Pennsylvania residents, and at least 18 years old by the next election date. First-time voters who register by mail need to show identification when they vote initially. The state offers same-day voter registration during the early voting period at county election offices. Automatic voter registration also happens when residents obtain or renew driver's licenses at PennDOT. Municipal elections in the borough determine who fills seven Borough Council seats (four-year staggered terms), the Mayor's office (four-year term), and Tax Collector. These elections take place in odd-numbered years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The next municipal election is scheduled for November 4, 2025, with candidates filing petitions in early 2025. Borough Council typically convenes on the second Monday of each month at Borough Hall, and meeting agendas, minutes, and candidate information appear at swarthmorepa.org. Local ballot measures occasionally surface on issues like bond authorizations or home rule charter amendments. Residents can locate their assigned polling place by visiting vote.pa.gov and entering their address, or by calling the Delaware County Bureau of Elections. Polling locations around town have included Borough Hall, Swarthmore Presbyterian Church, and local schools. Polls open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM on Election Day. Pennsylvania's no-excuse mail-in voting allows any registered voter to request a mail ballot through the state's online portal at vote.pa.gov or by submitting a paper application to the Delaware County elections office. Applications must arrive by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday before Election Day. Completed ballots must be returned by 8:00 PM on Election Day through mail (postmarks don't count), in person at the Delaware County elections office, or via official drop boxes located throughout Delaware County. Pennsylvania public records law allows voter registration lists to be purchased for political purposes. Campaign finance reports for candidates and political committees are maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of State and accessible at campaignfinance.pa.gov. Candidate filings and nominating petitions are public records available through the Delaware County elections office. Precinct-level results are published by the county after certification and typically appear on the Delaware County website within days of each election. The November 2024 presidential election saw Delaware County reach approximately 67% voter turnout with over 370,000 ballots cast out of approximately 550,000 registered voters, continuing the area's trend of high participation. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race (Governor Josh Shapiro's term expires January 2027), all Pennsylvania state House seats (203 districts), half of the state Senate (odd-numbered districts in 2026), and several statewide offices. No U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania is up in 2026 (Senator Bob Casey's seat is Class I, up in 2024/2030; Senator John Fetterman's Class III seat is up in 2028). Delaware County voters will also decide on county-level offices including County Council seats, row offices, and judicial positions. Swarthmore voters elect state representatives (Delaware County contains portions of multiple legislative districts) and state senators representing their district. Candidate information and sample ballots become available approximately six weeks before Election Day through the Delaware County elections office and at vote.pa.gov.