Pennsylvania Holds Numerous Special Elections, Costing Taxpayers Millions

State has seen 47 special elections since 2017, more than any other state, raising concerns about costs and administrative burdens.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Pennsylvania has held 47 special elections for vacant state legislative and congressional seats since 2017, more than any other state over that period. These special elections, often held on separate days from regular primary or general elections, have cost the state over $4.4 million in reimbursements to counties. Observers point to Pennsylvania's large full-time legislature as a possible factor, but efforts to reduce the number of special elections have stalled in the legislature.

Why it matters

The high number of special elections in Pennsylvania has placed a significant financial and administrative burden on state and local election officials. Holding separate special elections, rather than consolidating them with regular elections, increases costs for counties and can strain election staff. There are also concerns that the frequency of special elections may be contributing to partisan gridlock in the state legislature.

The details

Many of the 47 special elections held in Pennsylvania since 2017 were on different days from normal primary or general elections, increasing the burden for administrators and costing taxpayers millions of extra dollars. The state is required to reimburse counties for the costs of these special elections, but the reimbursements may not cover the full expenses. For example, in two special elections held in Philadelphia in 2024, the $1.5 million the state paid back to the city represented about two-thirds of the total cost. Legislators have proposed bills to reduce the number of special elections, such as barring candidates from running for multiple offices simultaneously, but these efforts have not yet passed.

  • Since 2017, Pennsylvania has held 47 special elections for vacant state legislative and congressional seats.
  • Two special elections were held in Philadelphia in September 2024 to fill seats left vacant by the resignation of two Democratic representatives.
  • Senate Bill 658, which would bar candidates from running for more than one office at a time, was reintroduced in the current legislative session but has not yet received a vote.

The players

Ballotpedia

A nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that provided data on the number of special elections held in Pennsylvania.

Seth Bluestein

A city commissioner in Philadelphia who discussed the challenges of administering special elections close to regular elections.

Katy Owens Hubler

The director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures, who commented on how some states try to limit the administrative burden of special elections.

John DiSanto

A former state senator who introduced a bill to bar candidates from running for more than one office at a time, in an effort to reduce the number of special elections.

Lisa Baker

A state senator who reintroduced DiSanto's proposal as Senate Bill 658 in the current legislative session.

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What they’re saying

“The needless vacancies created by candidates pursuing multiple offices have had a detrimental impact on the governance of our Commonwealth, with legislative bodies almost evenly split along partisan lines, and taxpayers have been burdened with the costs associated with running special elections, which can total hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single state house district.”

— John DiSanto, Former State Senator (Memo introducing bill)

“From an election administration standpoint, to hold an election less than two months before a general when the election could have been on the same ballot was frustrating.”

— Seth Bluestein, City Commissioner, Philadelphia (newhopefreepress.com)

“I think part of the intent of that is to relieve the [administrative] burden a little bit. Having to have a couple of special elections in September of a big election year — that's hard, and I'm sure it's confusing for voters too.”

— Katy Owens Hubler, Director of Elections and Redistricting, National Conference of State Legislatures (newhopefreepress.com)

What’s next

Senate Bill 658, which would bar candidates from running for more than one office at a time, is currently pending in the Pennsylvania legislature and could potentially reduce the number of special elections if passed.

The takeaway

Pennsylvania's high number of special elections, often held on separate days from regular elections, has placed a significant financial and administrative burden on state and local election officials. While efforts have been made to address this issue, the state legislature has yet to pass reforms that could consolidate special elections and reduce costs for taxpayers.