Friday, October 23, 2026

My office, above the Supercuts at Forward and Murray avenues, will be open Monday through Friday next week from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

 

The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 27. Check out my voters’ guide at the end of this newsletter!

Harrisburg Happenings: Legislative Session Wraps Up

 

This week marked the end of the House legislative session, and even in an incredibly challenging environment, we have wins to celebrate. Two brand new laws began with hearings I chaired in the Health Committee. One is the “bell-to-bell” ban, which requires all public and private schools to adopt policies prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day. The other adds Gaucher disease, the most prevalent inherited genetic disorder among people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, to the newborn screening panel. We also passed my resolution designating Oct. 20 as Community Health Worker Awareness Day.

 

Unfortunately, the General Assembly has never been more polarized. The Democratic-led House passed many important, reasonable bills that went unanswered in the upper chamber, including legislation to regulate firearms, restrict data centers and Flock cameras, legalize adult use cannabis, ban the most dangerous forms of kratom, and regulate and tax skill games. Too often, House leaders found themselves alone at the negotiating table. The Senate could still take up one of the many House bills teed up for a vote, but that is unlikely.

Remembering Our Murdered Neighbors from Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha, New Light and Dor Hadash

 

Next week marks eight years since our community was forever changed by an antisemitic attack on the three congregations in the Tree of Life Building. Below, you will find some of the events planned to honor those taken from us through study, community service, and reflection.

 

Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax, and Irving Younger are loved and missed every day. May their memories be a blessing.

Fall Fest & Haunted Gym
Friday, Oct. 23, 5:30 – 8 p.m. | Pittsburgh Greenfield K-8

 

Greenfield School PTO’s annual Fall Fest is fun for the whole family. This year’s event features a haunted gym designed by middle-school students, Trunk or Treat, and games and crafts.

 

Admission is $5 per person, and children ages 3 and under attend free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door; cash and credit cards are accepted.

 

Get tickets here.

Track and Treat
Saturday, Oct. 24, noon – 4 p.m. | Bud Harris Cycling Track

 

Bring your own bike or borrow one on site and ride the Bud Harris Cycling Track while stopping to enjoy refreshments and food trucks and to receive bike safety instruction. Kids and families can decorate their bikes, play games, and take part in a Halloween costume contest at 2 p.m.

 

Learn more here.

Swisshelm Park Community Center Halloween Party
Saturday, Oct. 24, 5 p.m. | Swisshelm Park Community Center

 

Join Swisshelm Park Community Center for a Halloween parade followed by a party with food, music and candy.

 

RSVP here.

Fall Plant + Seed Share
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 – 4 p.m. | Swisshelm Park Community Center

 

The Swisshelm Park Garden Club is hosting a casual gardening gathering to share plants, bulbs, seeds, and tools ideal for fall transplanting. Attendees can also hear about the club’s future events, lectures, and workshops.

Light refreshments will be provided, and gardeners of all ages and experience levels are welcome.

 

No registration is needed. Questions? Email shpgardenclub@gmail.com.

University of Pittsburgh Writing Center presents Community Writing Center
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6 – 8 p.m. | CLP – Squirrel Hill

 

Join consultants from the University of Pittsburgh Writing Center for free, drop-in writing support open to the community. Bring your notes, drafts, or ideas — consultants can help you think through your writing at any stage, from brainstorming to revision.

 

Learn more here.

Volunteering and Yahrzeit Torah Study
Sunday, Oct. 25, and Wednesday – Thursday, Oct. 28 – 29 | Multiple sites in Allegheny County and virtual

 

The 10/27 Healing Partnership invites neighbors to mark the anniversary of the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting through service and study.

 

Sunday’s Day of Service includes caring for Jewish cemeteries, serving lunch at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, making blankets and hygiene kits, helping with community-building projects, and donating blood. Times and sites vary. Torah study in memory of those lost follows, with an in-person session Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and a virtual session Thursday at noon with scholars from around the world.

 

Find volunteer opportunities and Torah study details here.

2026 Commemoration of the Oct. 27, 2018, Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Levinson Hall, Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

 

The annual Commemoration Ceremony remembers the 11 people killed in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting on Oct. 27, 2018. All are welcome, and registration is not required.

 

The community will stand in solidarity with the survivors, the families of those who were killed, and all those affected by this act of hate-motivated violence, united in grief and community.

 

Learn more here.

Hocus Pocus at the Plaza
Friday, Oct. 30, 3 – 9 p.m. | Schenley Plaza

 

Enjoy a festive Halloween evening with carousel rides, a special appearance by the Sanderson Sisters, and a movie under the stars. Come dressed for Halloween and make a night of it.

 

The Halloween classic “Hocus Pocus” begins at 7:30 p.m. Bring blankets and lawn chairs to claim a spot on the lawn. Carousel rides are available throughout the event for an additional fee, and more vendors and activities will be announced.

 

Learn more here.

2026 General Election, Tuesday, Nov. 3

 

Polls open 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Any voter in line by 8 p.m. is entitled to vote.

 

What's on the Ballot

Voters can look up their sample ballots here. If you don’t know your ward or precinct numbers, you can use the registration lookup tool to find them here.

 

Ballot Measure

You will see one measure on your ballot. To learn about it, please refer to the League of Women Voters’ ballot initiative guide.

 

Poll Workers Wanted

Poll workers can earn $150–$175 for serving on Election Day. Apply online here.

 

Voter Reminders

Pennsylvania law requires voters to return their own ballot or officially designate someone to do so. A mailed ballots must be sealed inside the yellow envelope marked “official election ballot” and that envelope should be placed in the signed and dated outer envelope.

 

ID Requirements

All first-time voters and anyone voting at a new polling location must show ID. Acceptable forms of ID include a Pennsylvania driver's license, state ID, passport or other government-issued photo ID. If you do not have a photo ID, you may use other forms of ID, such as a current utility bill or bank statement showing your name and address.

 

Check Your Voter Registration

The deadline to register to vote has passed.

 

Registered voters can verify their registration through the Pennsylvania Department of State portal, which also provides Election Day polling locations, mail-in/absentee ballot status and county Board of Elections contact information.

Voting with a Criminal Conviction

Pennsylvania allows individuals with misdemeanor or felony convictions to vote, including those in jail or prison (misdemeanor), on house arrest, probation, parole, in a halfway house or in pretrial detention. No action is needed to restore voting rights after completing a felony sentence. Some voters in these circumstances may need to request an absentee ballot.

 

College Students

Students may register and vote at either their college or home address — but only one. Students registered at home may request a mail-in or absentee ballot sent to their campus address.

 

Mail-in / Absentee Ballots

The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Oct. 27. Voters should return their ballot as early as possible. It must arrive at the Elections Division by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to be counted, regardless of when it was mailed.

 

If you have an emergency between now and Election Day, such as a sudden illness/disability or last-minute travel, you may be able to obtain an emergency mail-in ballot.

 

You can track your ballot here.

 

Allegheny County Ballot Return Sites

Voters who applied for a mail-in or absentee ballot may return it in person to the Allegheny County Elections Division, located in Room 312 of the County Office Building. The office is open Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

 

The Carnegie Library of Squirrel Hill will be open as a ballot return site Friday, Oct. 30, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; and Monday, Nov. 2, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

 

You cannot vote in person at the Carnegie Library during early ballot return. You may bring your filled-out, signed and sealed ballot, and a county employee will collect it. You may return only your own ballot unless you have been officially designated to return another voter’s ballot.

 

Satellite Voting

Satellite election offices let voters apply for, receive, vote and return mail-in and absentee ballots in one visit.

 

Any Allegheny County voter may use any location, and voters with a completed mail-in ballot can also drop it off there. Satellite offices are at CCAC Homewood, North Park Ice Rink, South Park Ice Rink and the County Office Building. They are open Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 – 25, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

 

Accessible Voting

All polling places must have at least one accessible way to vote. Check accessibility options before Election Day here. Permanent absentee ballots are available for voters with permanent disabilities.

 

Provisional Ballots

Voters whose registration cannot be verified at the polls or who do not have an acceptable ID may cast a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots are reviewed by the county Board of Elections after Election Day. Voters can check the status of their provisional ballot by calling 1-877-VOTESPA or tracking it online here.

 

Voter Education Toolkit

Find resources covering election deadlines, how to vote, and Pennsylvania's secure voting systems here.

Pennsylvania State Capitol

152 Main Capitol Building

PO Box 202023

Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 705-1875

District Office

2345 Murray Avenue

Suite 205

Pittsburgh, PA 15217

(412) 422-1774

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