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Can you vote with a felony in Pennsylvania?

The short answer

After prison.

In Pennsylvania, people lose the right to vote only while in prison for a felony. It comes back on release, including on parole or probation. Some other convictions can affect it too; the details are below.

The exception: People convicted of willfully violating the Pennsylvania Election Code, including misdemeanor violations, cannot vote for four years from the date of conviction, even if they are not incarcerated, and must register again afterward.1

In Pennsylvania, people confined in a correctional facility for a felony conviction cannot vote if they will still be confined on the date of the next election. People who have been released, or will be released by Election Day, may register and vote, including people on probation or parole. One narrow exception: anyone convicted of willfully violating the Pennsylvania Election Code loses the right to vote for four years from the date of conviction.3

Checked October 22, 2026 against 6 sources, starting with Pennsylvania law, then by a second reader.

  1. In prison for a felonyCan't vote3,4
  2. On paroleCan vote1,3,4
  3. On probationCan vote1,3,4
  4. Sentence completeCan vote1,2,3
Check with Pennsylvania's election office

Before you register

Your state or county election office can confirm your own status, for free. Voting while ineligible can carry criminal penalties, so if anything about your case is unclear, ask them first. The general election is November 3, 2026; registration deadlines are on vote.gov.

How the right comes back

Automatically

Eligibility returns on release from confinement for the felony, with no application; the Department of State says people who 'were released or will be released from a correctional facility by the date of the next election' may register and vote. The exception is a conviction for a willful violation of the Election Code: Election Code section 1852 deprives the person of the right of suffrage 'absolutely for a term of four years from the date of his conviction' and has the registration card canceled in court at sentencing, so the person must register again once the four years have passed. Pennsylvania's election law (25 Pa.C.S. 1301) still contains older wording that bars registration for five years after release from prison, but the Commonwealth Court found that rule 'constitutionally infirm' in Mixon v. Commonwealth (2000), and the Department of State tells people released from prison that they may register.1,2,3,5

When the right doesn't come back on its own

  • A willful violation of the Pennsylvania Election Code (loss of the right to vote for four years from the date of conviction, not permanently)

Not a permanent loss. Election Code section 1852 deprives anyone convicted of a willful violation of the Election Code of the right of suffrage 'absolutely for a term of four years from the date of his conviction' and has the registration card canceled in open court at sentencing, so the person must register again after the four years. This applies whether or not the person is incarcerated, so it also covers people on probation or parole during those four years. No group loses the right permanently under the sources opened.1

Fines, fees and restitution

Not required

The Department of State's eligibility list turns on confinement status and the four-year Election Code rule; it does not mention fines, fees or restitution as a condition.3

Registering again

Not confirmed

We couldn't confirm whether a new registration is needed. The election office can tell you.

Misdemeanors and jail

The Department of State says a misdemeanor, whether or not the person is incarcerated, has no effect on registering and voting, 'unless the misdemeanor was a violation of the Pennsylvania Election Code'. A willful Election Code violation, including a misdemeanor, triggers the four-year bar in Election Code section 1852.1,3,4

The Department of State says people can register and vote even if confined in a correctional facility awaiting trial, as long as they are not serving a felony sentence. People on home confinement can vote regardless of conviction status.3,4

Convictions from another state or federal court

The official pages opened do not say how felony convictions from other states or federal court are treated.

The law

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This page explains Pennsylvania's general rules from its law and election office. It isn't legal advice, and a case can turn on the details of a sentence. The election office can confirm your status.

Spot something out of date? Tell us at contact@secondchanceindex.com.

Cite this page

Second Chance Index, "Can you vote with a felony in Pennsylvania?" https://secondchanceindex.com/voting-rights/pennsylvania, checked October 22, 2026.

Sources

Each source was opened and checked on October 22, 2026.

  1. Pennsylvania Election Code sec. 1852 (1937 Act 320)
  2. 25 Pa.C.S. 1301 (see research_notes: its five-year language conflicts with the Department of State's current rule)
  3. Information for Justice-Involved IndividualsPennsylvania Department of State
  4. Voting Rights of Convicted Felons, Convicted Misdemeanants and Pretrial Detainees (brochure)Pennsylvania Department of State
  5. Mixon v. Commonwealth, No. 384 M.D. 1999 (Pa. Cmwlth. Sept. 18, 2000) (en banc)Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
  6. Upcoming ElectionsPennsylvania Department of State