Can Felons Vote in Pennsylvania?

Overview

Pennsylvania law permits convicted felons to vote, but only after they have completed their sentences.

If you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or are in pretrial detention, you may still be eligible to vote in Pennsylvania. The following information is provided to clarify the voting rights of convicted felons and misdemeanants and pretrial detainees.

To be eligible to register and vote in Pennsylvania, you must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be 18 years of age or older on or before the date of the election
• Not be currently serving a sentence of imprisonment for a felony conviction
• Not be under court-ordered mental incapacity
• Not have been convicted of a felony involving the sale or distribution of a controlled substance

If you meet the above qualifications, you can register and vote if you are:

• Confined in a penal institution awaiting trial on charges of a felony
• Confined in a penal institution serving a sentence for a misdemeanor conviction
• On probation or parole

Pennsylvania law once prohibited people convicted of a felony from voting for five years after their release from prison, but that is no longer the case. Felons who have completed their sentences can now register and vote without restriction.