With the curtain drawn on 2025, attention turns to 2026 and the midterm elections.
Once again, the Keystone State will play a major role in determining control of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as whether it wants to retain Governor Josh Shapiro for another term.
Let’s not forget that the Commonwealth will also decide whether it wants Democrats to retain control of the House of Representatives, where they have a 102-101 majority, and whether Republicans should maintain control of the state Senate, where they have a 27-23 majority.
So it seems like a good time to take a look at the voter rolls as the novel year begins, and at first glance it appears to be good news for Republicans in the state’s 67 counties.
The Republican Party has closed the registration gap with Democrats to just over 50,000 vigorous voters, and if inactive voters are included, the gap increases to about 172,000.
Of Pennsylvania’s 8.9 million registered voters, Democrats have 3.815 million in their tent, while Republicans have 3.643 million in the GOP.
However, the largest raise was recorded in the independent camp – 1.142 million people avoiding any political party.
There have been over 50,000 departures from Democratic or Republican identification in calendar year 2025. Republicans took 37,256 voters away from Democrats, while Democrats took 22,041 voters away from the GOP.
Largest Democratic Counties
| County | October 2024 | July 2025 | October 2025 | January 2026 | Change |
| Philadelphia | 796221 | 767574 | 768,569 | 769286 | -3.38% |
| Allegheny | 522563 | 499 485 | 501247 | 501 071 | -4.11% |
| Montgomery | 310207 | 300 726 | 302253 | 302554 | -2.47% |
| Delaware | 208246 | 199,972 | 201051 | 201 412 | -3.28% |
| Dollars | 199932 | 192,350 | 192 609 | 192,683 | -3.63% |
| Chester | 162840 | 157235 | 158551 | 158,479 | -2.68% |
| Lancaster | 114 199 | 110591 | 111,027 | 111242 | -2.59% |
| Lehigh | 114929 | 109,643 | 109,872 | 110 166 | -4.14% |
| Berki | 108704 | 103744 | 103820 | 103,969 | -4.36% |
| York | 99238 | 94227 | 94,893 | 95 189 | -4.08% |
| Total | 3,971,607 | 3,806,544 | 3,813,866 | 3,815,575 | -3.93% |
Largest Republican Counties
| County | October 2024 | July 2025 | October 2025 | January 2026 | Change |
| Allegheny | 270,952 | 264188 | 264 863 | 264568 | -2.36% |
| Montgomery | 212 792 | 208 604 | 209 005 | 208,900 | -1.83% |
| Dollars | 203 901 | 202198 | 202815 | 202807 | -0.57% |
| Lancaster | 185 018 | 183744 | 184158 | 184166 | -0.46% |
| York | 170,667 | 167520 | 168210 | 168,449 | -1.30% |
| Chester | 156183 | 151,781 | 152194 | 152,083 | -2.63% |
| Delaware | 149923 | 145,024 | 144760 | 144,470 | -3.64% |
| Philadelphia | 131,600 | 130,925 | 131,498 | 131,484 | -0.09% |
| Westmoreland | 130 712 | 130,719 | 131,039 | 130,935 | +0.17% |
| Berki | 117 619 | 117 419 | 118,002 | 118116 | +0.42% |
| Total | 3,673,873 | 3,631,635 | 3,643,258 | 3,643,898 | -0.08% |
Largest “unaffiliated” counties.
(does not include third parties)
| County | October 2024 | July 2025 | October 2025 | January 2026 | Change |
| Philadelphia | 138,397 | 141596 | 144559 | 145,926 | +5.42% |
| Allegheny | 108834 | 107,108 | 109,627 | 110,928 | +1.92% |
| Montgomery | 75,906 | 77940 | 80 110 | 81117 | +6.87% |
| Dollars | 64179 | 65565 | 67093 | 67941 | +5.86% |
| Chester | 54078 | 55 100 | 56672 | 56672 | +4.80% |
| York | 48910 | 49281 | 51060 | 51781 | +5.87% |
| Lancaster | 46093 | 47135 | 48532 | 49335 | +7.03% |
| Delaware | 45569 | 46243 | 47362 | 47819 | +4.94% |
| Lehigh | 43363 | 43235 | 44025 | 44,449 | +2.50% |
| Berki | 36897 | 37721 | 38841 | 39,395 | +6.77% |
| Total | 1,096,427 | 1,103,810 | 1,130,562 | 1,142,244 | +4.18% |
Age groups
| Range | Registered | Democrat | Republican | Other |
| 18-24 | 779.350 | 41.21% | 34.62% | 24.17% |
| 25-34 | 1,451,246 | 44.98% | 32.43% | 22.59% |
| 35-44 | 1,454,012 | 43.85% | 35.33% | 20.82% |
| 45-54 | 1,282,412 | 40.29% | 41.85% | 17.86% |
| 55-64 | 1,468,437 | 38.90% | 48.31% | 12.79% |
| 65-74 | 1,405,903 | 44.28% | 45.68% | 10.04% |
| 75 years and over | 1,078,959 | 45.77% | 46.47% | 7.76% |
