The Department of Elections is responsible for conducting primary and all elections. Other functions include handing out petitions, and providing street lists, informing the electorate through advertised proclamations and notices of upcoming elections, maintaining the county’s election records, establishing polling places and precincts, and assisting the elector with questions about the election’s process, laws, and procedures.

There are 27 election precincts in Union County. Each precinct has an Election Board, consisting of a Judge of Elections, a Majority Inspector, Minority Inspector, and several clerks.

We are responsible for candidates who run for office on the Federal, Judicial, State, County, Township, Borough, School District, Precinct, and Party levels. County, Township, and Borough elections are Municipal and held in odd numbered years. National and state elections are held in even numbered years and are called General. Every year there is a primary. On Election Day we go from a staff of 3 to a staff of well over 150.

Like many states, Pennsylvania has a closed primary election, this means that only voters registered as a member of a major political party may vote in a primary election for candidates of that party only. Currently in Pennsylvania the major political parties are Republican and Democratic. However, all registered voters can vote on: constitution amendments, ballot questions, and any special election contests.

The Voter Registration Office is responsible for maintaining and updating approximately 26,000 active and inactive registered voters in Union County. We receive changes of addresses from the Department of Transportation daily. Most of our new registrations are from the Driver License Photo Centers. 

Under the Pennsylvania Voter Registration Act of 1995, if you registered to vote and are an active voter, you will always be registered to vote in PA. All changes of address, name, or party affiliation must be recorded and maintained. Any person eighteen (18) years of age or older, who has been a citizen of the United States at least one month, who has been a resident of the state of Pennsylvania in Union County for at least thirty (30) days may register to vote in Union County.