Voters confused about Congressional districts in special election
Trista Thurston/Observer-Reporter
A handwritten sign at St. Hugh Catholic Church in Carmichaels informs potential voters that there is not voting in that district for the special election Tuesday.
Snow flies as people return to their vehicles Tuesday after casting their votes in the special election at the Bible Chapel in McMurray.
Intense interest in Tuesday’s special election for the 18th Congressional District left many would-be voters out in the cold.
Elections offices across the four counties that comprise the district fielded hundreds of calls during the day from voters who were confused why their polling places were closed, only to learn they lived in a different district.
The Greene County elections office received about 45 telephone calls by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday from people who live in the 9th Congressional District in the eastern part of the county with questions about the election.
“They were people who either went to vote and found the doors (at their precincts) locked or who were checking in to see if they could vote,” said Tina Kiger, elections office director.
Half of the county’s 44 precincts are in the 18th District.
Kiger said part of the confusion, and the interest in the race, probably stemmed from all the television advertising during the campaign. In addition, yard signs for the two candidates had popped up in areas of the county that were in the 9th District. That district is currently represented by Congressman Bill Shuster, R-Blair County, who is retiring at the end of the year.
“We had a couple people who called and said their polls were closed and they wanted to know where they could go to vote,” she said.
A reporter stationed outside three polling stations in Jefferson and Carmichaels spoke to nearly two dozen hopeful voters over a few hours who showed up only to find their polling place closed. Several more people just drove away. Most people, when informed they were not part of the district, were confused, shocked and embarrassed.
A handwritten sign was put on the door at St. Hugh’s Catholic Church in Carmichaels informing people that there was “No voting today.” Other precincts, including the Jefferson and Carmichaels-Cumberland fire halls, had no signage informing would-be voters
Cumberland Township code enforcement officer Ann Bargerstock said even her office, which is not a polling location, received visits and phone calls from people wanting to vote.
In Washington County, the story was similar. Elections Director Larry Spahr couldn’t put an exact number to the inquiries his office had received Tuesday. He did say there were “multiple calls” that were “steady” during the day – and more of them than in the lead-up to the special election.
“I think people pay less attention to what congressional districts they reside in,” Spahr said. “Evidently, they waited till today to inquire whether they’re in the 9th (Congressional District) or the 18th … based on the number of calls we’ve gotten.”
A large portion of the Mon Valley is in Shuster’s 9th District.
He said some of the inquiries came from would-be voters who’d already tried to go to the polls and then called his office to double-check whether they were eligible.
“It was all across the district,” Spahr said. “It wasn’t local to any one area or a couple areas, it was all across the district.”
Westmoreland County officials also reported confusion and the situation was even worse in Allegheny County, according to county spokeswoman Amie Downs.
“We continue to receive calls from voters who are confused as to which district they are in, or upset because they could not vote today,” Downs said in a Tuesday evening email. “Additionally, many polling places which are not in the district have posted signs which are not accurate, or confusing, causing other calls.”
Allegheny County includes the 18th, 14th and 12th congressional districts.
Regional editor Mike Jones contributed to this story.