In unprecedented circumstances, local election directors turnout predictions for primary are ‘guesses’
Barbara S. Miller/Observer-Reporter
When the Pennsylvania Department of State prepared this poster, no one knew “big” voting changes would grow even bigger because of a multitude of circumstances.
Barbara S. Miller/Observer-Reporter
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar during a visit to Washington County earlier this year
A pandemic brought a wave of illness, death and lockdowns in late winter, resulting in a postponement of the April 28 primary. More than 1.8 million Pennsylvanians requested mail-in ballots under a new law. Then, just days ahead of June 2, rioting swept some communities.
“On many levels, seemingly more by the day, this will be an election like no other,” said Pennsylvania Department of State Kathy Boockvar in a Monday morning video conference with reporters.
Under this series of unprecedented circumstances during a presidential election year, it’s hard to predict how many people will be voting today.
Late last week, before civil unrest began in Pennsylvania, two county elections directors were asked their thoughts on turnout.
In Greene County, Elections Director Tina Kiger said her prediction was “just a guess, and I’m probably going to be over, but with absentees, I’ll say 30%.”
From the county office building in Waynesburg, 3,810 absentee and no-excuse mail-in ballots were sent out.
By Thursday afternoon, 2,392 had been returned and recorded, with 60 to 70 yet to be logged that day.
There’s a new deadline for returning voted ballots to Room 102 in the Greene County Office Building at 93 E. High St., Waynesburg, and drop-off points in other counties: 8 p.m. tonight, the same time that the polls close after their 13-hour day.
In Washington County, a table will be set up in the first-floor lobby of the Courthouse Square office building, with access from an automatically opening door near West Cherry Avenue.
Melanie Ostrander, Washington County elections director, said her office fulfilled 27,414 requests for mail-in ballots, and by Thursday afternoon, 12,318 had been returned, presumably with votes. The 12,000-plus did not include that day’s mail, which filled six trays.
Although county elections offices across the state were inundated by requests, Ostrander said at the polls for in-person voting, “I still suspect turnout will be light. I think the poll turnout is going to be less than 20%” and noted her prediction was based on “educated guesses.”
By late Monday morning, 1.1 million of the 1.8 million mail-in ballots requested statewide had already been submitted to county elections offices.
And if someone requested a mail-in ballot but either didn’t receive it, lost it, damaged it or tossed it by mistake, or if the person just can’t make it to the central drop-off point by the 8 p.m. deadline, that person can go to the neighborhood polling place to vote.
The poll book should show workers that a mail-in or absentee ballot was applied for and the voter will be asked to vote by provisional ballot.
The voted provisional ballot will be returned to the poll workers in a security envelope which will then be opened and reviewed by the county canvass board.
If the voter’s mail-in or absentee ballot is received by the deadline, the provisional ballot would be voided and not counted. If the mail-in or absentee ballot is not received or is not received by the deadline, the provisional ballot will be counted.
Boockvaar asked those who plan to vote in person to give some thought to whether the polling location may have changed since the last election.
In Washington County, this is the case at 16 polls in 11 municipalities: Blaine Township; Canonsburg Second Ward, Second Precinct; Canton 1 and 4; Charleroi 3, 4 and 6; Chartiers 5 and 6; Claysville; Coal Center; Cross Creek 3; East Bethlehem 4; Monongahela Third Ward, Second Precinct; and Mt. Pleasant 2 and 3.
In Greene County, changes in where to vote in person affect nine precincts in five municipalities: Carmichaels, Cumberland 4, Franklin East and Franklin South, Jefferson Township 2, 3 and 4, and Waynesburg 2 and 3.
Whether someone is using a paper mail-in ballot or voting in person, there will be chances to nominate Democrats and Republicans in the closed primary for president.
Democrats will also see a contest for state auditor general, and area Republicans will see some primary challenges locally.
On the Democratic ballot, vying to represent the party in November are H. Scott Conklin, Michael Lamb, Tracie Fountain, Rose Marie Davis, Nina Ahmad and Christine Hartman.
Timothy DeFoor is unopposed in seeking the Republican Party nomination.
Republicans will have choices to make in one state senatorial race and in two state legislative matchups, depending on where they live.
In the 37th Senatorial District, which includes Peters Township in Washington County, the Republicans are Devlin Robinson and Jeff Neff. The winner of the nomination will take on incumbent Democrat Pam Iovino in the general election.
There are also two primary contests among GOP members in state House districts that include parts of Washington County.
In the 39th District, incumbent state Rep. Mike Puskaric has a challenger in Tom Kirsch. Sara-Summer Oliphant of South Park filed on the Democratic ticket.
In the 49th District, Tony Bottino Jr. is running against incumbent Republican state Rep. Bud Cook, who is seeking a third, two-year term. Democrat Randy Barli is unopposed.
Candidates are also vying to be chosen as delegates or alternates to Democratic and Republican Party presidential nominating conventions.
On the Democratic ballot, not more than five are to be elected.
The choices are Bibiana Boerio, Christian Sesek and Nate Regotti, all of whom are committed to Joe Biden.
Casey Konopisos, Robert Mason, Mike Cordaro, Janice Foley and Brayden Campbell are listed as committed to Bernie Sanders.
On the Republican ballot, voters are to select no more than three convention delegates. The candidates are: John Ventre, Scott Avolio, Jon R. Marietta, Scott R. Day, Daryl William Price, Eric J. Sivavec, Guy Reschenthaler, Rose Tennent, Thomas J. Uram, Susanna DeJeet and Jill Cooper.
Unlike the Democrats, Pennsylvania Republican Party rules do not require them to list their choice of presidential nominee, but President Donald J. Trump has not faced a serious challenge within the party by an opponent.
In Washington, as in 21 other counties in the state, new voting machines with a voter-verifiable paper trail are being deployed for the first time. Greene countians used new machines for the first time last year.
Boockvar had some advice for those voting in person: wear a mask; bring your own pen, and wash your hands before and after voting.
She asked voters conduct themselves with “patience and gratitude” toward those who have worked tirelessly on this primary.
Should there be any disturbances at the polls, the Department of State has been in touch with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
“We will monitor hour by hour, day by day,” Boockvar said.
“Pennsylvania counties are as prepared for this election as they can possibly be. Have full confidence your vote will be counted and your voice will be heard,” she said.
Under Pennsylvania law, Election Day workers can begin opening envelopes and categorizing ballots at 7 a.m. today, but allowing them to begin even earlier would require the passage of additional legislation.