For the first time in 80 years, Pennsylvania has made significant changes to the elections code. On Jan. 10, the Pennsylvania Department of State issued its guidance to all counties.

Previously, in order to vote, you had to be registered at least 30 days before the election. That deadline is now 15 days before the election.

Election Day is now June 2, so the registration deadline is May 18.

You can register at the county elections office, with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation or online at pavoterservices.pa.gov.

Voters will also now be able to cast their ballots by mail.

Applications for mail-in or absentee ballots can be found at votespa.com. The deadline to register is 5 p.m. May 26.

The county must accept the actual ballot so long as it is received by 8 p.m. Election Day.

You can ask to be placed on a permanent mail-in voter list.

If you have returned a mail-in or absentee ballot, you are ineligible to vote at your polling precinct in person.

Mail-in and absentee ballots will be counted at the elections office - but not until the polls close.

Absentee ballots will no longer be counted at voting precincts. Counties have been given the option to select other locations at which voters can drop off ballots, so long as there is security and a chain of custody can be established.

Straight-party voting has been eliminated.

The state legislature has banned the Department of State from decertifying voting systems used by the majority of the counties unless it advises the legislature six months in advance with a justification as well as a plan for paying for a new system.

Counties were given no warning when Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf decided, as part of a lawsuit settlement, to order them to get new systems in time for this year’s election.