Your Daily Guide

Could Independents Vote in PA Primaries?

A bill that would allow unaffiliated Pennsylvania voters to participate in primary elections just passed the state House. PA is one of just eight states that hold closed primaries, where only registered members of a given party can vote for candidates — excluding the 1.5 million voters who are neither registered Democrats nor Republicans (including my mom!). The bill now heads to the Senate. [Penn Capital-Star / NCSL]

• Voters with no party affiliation — who make up more than 13% of the commonwealth’s electorate — would get to choose which primary they want to participate in. [Votebeat]
• Wanna vote in this year's general election? Oct. 19 is the deadline to register, and Oct. 27 is the deadline to request a mail-in ballot. [PA.gov]
• More than one million Pennsylvanians requested to vote by mail this fall. If you're among them, your mail-in ballot should be arriving soon. (I got mine last week.) [Penn Capital-Star]
• Allegheny County's ballot return sites will be open from Oct. 7-25. [Allegheny County]

County Seeks Designs for “I Voted” Sticker

Allegheny County high schoolers can submit their craziest, cookiest designs for the selfie-optimized sticker that voters will receive during the 2027 election cycle. The deadline is Dec. 31, and the rules specify that the design cannot include any AI-generated “art” (aka no plagiarizing human artists).

• Check out the previous winner and finalists — my favorite is the pickle sticker. [Allegheny County]

Carnegie Pub Rises From the Ashes

Riley’s Pour House in Carnegie is now under reconstruction after burning down in a fire two years ago. The owners of the Irish pub say they plan on opening the new and improved bar next February — just in time for St. Patty’s (hell yea brother). [KDKA]

• Looking for more new and resurrected spots to try? We're talking fancy croissants, KBBQ, and deluxe mac and cheese on today's podcast. [City Cast Pittsburgh]

Bitcoin Mining's Hidden Cost

A company that mines for bitcoin by burning waste coal — which emits about 36% more CO2 than standard coal — is shipping the toxic ash it produces to a former mine in West Deer Township. Residents complain that ash flies out of the unsecured trucks, and that the constant convoy of vehicles makes driving hazardous on the narrow roads.

• I made a story for the Allegheny Front about all the pollution the waste coal company produces, as well as the constant high-pitched whine from the server racks they use to mine bitcoin. [TribLive / Allegheny Front]