Pennsylvania's 2027 municipal primary is on Tuesday, May 18, 2027, and the municipal election is on Tuesday, November 2, 2027. For Democratic and Republican candidates for local office, the dates that matter most come much earlier. Nomination petitions may be circulated from Tuesday, February 16, 2027, and must be filed with the county board of elections by Tuesday, March 9, 2027. Objections to a petition are due in court by Tuesday, March 16, and the last day to withdraw is Wednesday, March 24.
The Department of State's 2027 election calendar was not available when we checked, so most dates on this page are calculated from the Election Code and other state laws. We mark those "based on state law." Confirm each one with your county board of elections, which runs local elections and receives local petitions, before you rely on it.
For the full process of getting on the ballot, start with our guide to running for local office in Pennsylvania. If you are running as an independent or for a smaller party or political body, your papers follow a different schedule that this page does not cover, so ask your county board for those dates.
Before petition season: November 2026 to February 2027
Sunday, November 15, 2026, if you plan to text. Campaign Verify, the check that political campaigns need before they text, sets its cycle by request date. Requests made before November 15, 2026 expire January 31, 2027. Requests made on or after November 15 last until January 31, 2029, which covers the whole 2027 cycle. The texting section below explains the setup.
November 2026 to mid-February 2027: preparation. Use these weeks to get ready, because the petition window is only three weeks long:
- Ask your county board of elections which seats will be on the 2027 ballot in your area, and get the nomination petition form for your office.
- Line up circulators. Each circulator must be a Pennsylvania voter enrolled in the party named on the petition.
- Prepare your Statement of Financial Interests, an ethics disclosure covering the 2026 calendar year. Most local candidates file it with the school district, borough or township they would serve.
- Plan to sign your candidate's affidavit before a notary close to filing time.
A note on judges of elections and inspectors. These precinct offices are elected every four years, in the year after a presidential election. They were on the ballot in 2025 and are next due in 2029, so they are generally not part of the 2027 calendar.
Petition season: February 16 to March 9, 2027
Tuesday, February 16, 2027 (based on state law). The first day to circulate nomination petitions. The Election Code sets this as the thirteenth Tuesday before the primary. A signature dated before February 16 does not count.
Tuesday, March 9, 2027 (based on state law). The tenth Tuesday before the primary, and the last day of petition season. Three things happen on this date:
- It is the last date a signature may carry and still count.
- Your petition and candidate's affidavit must be received by the county board of elections by the board's ordinary closing time. Ask your board what time that is.
- Your Statement of Financial Interests must be filed with the governing body of the place you would serve, with a copy attached to your petition. Leaving it out is a fatal defect. Candidates for judge of elections and inspector of elections do not file one.
Most local offices need at least 10 valid signatures from registered members of your party who live in the district. Borough, township and school director candidates pay no filing fee. Beacon's guide to Pennsylvania nomination petitions covers the petition rules for this window in more detail.
Objections and withdrawals: March 2027
Tuesday, March 16, 2027 (based on state law). The last day for anyone to file an objection to a petition in court, seven days after the filing deadline. A petition with no objection filed by then is treated as valid.
Friday, March 19, 2027 (based on state law). The latest day the court may hold the hearing on an objection, ten days after the filing deadline.
Wednesday, March 24, 2027 (based on state law). Two deadlines fall on this day, fifteen days after the filing deadline:
- The court must decide every objection by this date.
- It is the last day to withdraw. A withdrawal is a written request that you sign and acknowledge before an officer who can administer oaths, and the county board must receive it by its ordinary closing time. A withdrawal cannot be taken back.
After the withdrawal deadline, candidates' places on the primary ballot are decided by casting lots. Your county board can tell you when and where that happens.
Primary season: April and May 2027
Pennsylvania has a closed primary, so only voters registered in your party can vote for you on May 18. School director candidates who cross-file can appear on both major parties' primary ballots.
Monday, May 3, 2027 (based on state law). The last day to register to vote, or to change party, for the primary. Voters must register at least 15 days before an election.
Tuesday, May 11, 2027, 5 p.m. (based on state law). The last day to apply for a mail or absentee ballot, which is the first Tuesday before the primary. Pennsylvania does not have early voting in the way many states do, but a voter can apply for, fill out and return a mail ballot in one visit to the county election office.
Tuesday, May 18, 2027 (based on state law). The municipal primary, on the third Tuesday of May. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mail ballots must reach the county board of elections by 8 p.m.
The fall campaign: October and November 2027
Monday, October 18, 2027 (based on state law). The last day to register to vote for the municipal election.
Tuesday, October 26, 2027, 5 p.m. (based on state law). The last day to apply for a mail or absentee ballot for the municipal election.
Tuesday, November 2, 2027. The municipal election. The winner of each party's primary appears on the ballot.
Taking office
Monday, December 6, 2027 (based on state law). School directors elected in November take office on the first Monday of December.
Monday, January 3, 2028 (based on state law). Borough council members and township supervisors take office on the first Monday of January after the election.
Schedule your reminder texts in CampaignCNX+
The May 3, May 11 and May 18 dates are natural moments to remind supporters, and each reminder can be written and scheduled in advance. Do the setup in December or January, before petition season:
- Collect written permission while you circulate. A petition signature is not permission to text. Carry a separate sign-up sheet that says plainly the person agrees to receive campaign texts, and record the date.
- Check that your committee filing is online, then request Campaign Verify. Campaign Verify costs $95 per two-year cycle and is for registered political committees with an EIN (the committee's federal tax ID number). It needs a filing with an election authority that is published online, and it sends a PIN only to the contact details on that filing. Ask your county board of elections whether your local committee filing can be viewed online. If it cannot, ask Campaign Verify Support how to proceed before you pay. Campaign Verify decides who is eligible.
- Open your CampaignCNX+ account. CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration with the carriers (the mobile phone companies). You buy the Campaign Verify token from Campaign Verify, and CampaignCNX+ files it with your registration. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month. For a toll-free number, carrier review usually takes about three business days.
- Schedule the three reminders to your group of opted-in supporters. Texts send only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient's time zone, and STOP replies are handled automatically.
Sample reminders, each under 160 characters:
Lee for School Board: Monday, May 3 is the last day to register or change party for the May 18 primary. Reply STOP to opt out.
Lee for School Board: to vote by mail on May 18, apply by 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 11. Your county election office can help.
Lee for School Board: today is the primary. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thank you for your support.
Our guide to texting voters in a Pennsylvania local race covers consent and setup step by step, and our political texting guide explains the rules that apply in every state.
Put the dates on your calendar now
The three weeks from February 16 to March 9 leave little room for surprises, so mark them now, and add the May 3, May 11 and May 18 voter deadlines beside them. Our campaign plan to the May 18, 2027 primary turns these dates into a week-by-week schedule. When your committee filing is online, start a trial and have your reminders scheduled before petition season begins.
