Lehigh Valley voters went to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes on everything from school boards to county executive to the future of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Few problems were reported in an election that saw a steady trickle of voters who said they were concerned about everything from quality-of-life issues to the direction of the country.
“I know it’s important to vote,” said Rosa Rivera, who voted Tuesday afternoon alongside her daughter, Janiya Martinez, in Freemansburg. “I want to make my vote count.”
A poll worker in the lone precinct in the small Northampton County borough, where 96-year-old Democratic Mayor Gerald Yob was seeking his 12th term against a challenge from Republican Will Power, said about 18% of voters had cast ballots as of 5 p.m. — a higher than normal amount in an off-year election with no national races and few statewide races on the ballot.
Polling places elsewhere reported sporadic turnout. While the election was mostly smooth in the Lehigh Valley, one Northampton County precinct experienced some voting machine issues, according to county spokesperson Jessica Berger.
One machine at the Leithsville fire station polling place required recalibration, but was operating smoothly afterward, Berger said. A second machine was taken out of service due to a loose internal display cable, but no votes had been cast on it, and a replacement was not required due to voter turnout levels, she said. Despite the issues, lines stayed under 30 minutes, and about 563 voters cast ballots as of 7 p.m., according to Berger.
Theressa Whiting, a Democratic voter in the Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem, dropped off her mail ballot at the Lehigh County Government Center in downtown Allentown on Tuesday morning with her two children — 2-year-old James and 1-month-old Josie — at her side. She was one of roughly 69,000 voters in Lehigh and Northampton counties to request a mail or absentee ballot.
“I felt it was important to make my voice heard, but I feel like it’s especially important because the decisions I make now are going to affect them in their adulthood, and even affect their childhood because it affects the funding for school districts,” Whiting said, adding she wants to give other children a chance to succeed.
Homelessness was a big issue for her as a voter, especially, she said, with people being forced from encampments in Allentown and Bethlehem. She said she supported efforts to help those being displaced such as opening warming stations.
Whiting, who gave the Trump administration and Republican leadership in Congress a “big thumbs down,” added that voting for Democratic judges also was important.
“We can look at our [U.S.] Supreme Court judges and we’ve seen what that did, by not having people who actually cared about precedent,” she said. “And that affects everybody because they’re the ones that are interpreting the law. And so if we have someone that’s interpreting the law in a … super conservative way, then everything’s going to be affected that way. I don’t necessarily want it to be interpreted one way or the other. I just want it to be interpreted fairly, and not trying to push one ideal.”
Democrat Marianne Williams of Allentown took her 2-year-old Labrador mix, Zoey, with her to vote at Dieruff High School. She said her vote was motivated by a desire to see safer streets, especially regarding vehicles not stopping at red lights and stop signs, and concerns about increasing taxes.
She added that she was happy to vote for Republican Robert E. Smith Jr. for Allentown School Board, whom she considers a friend. Smith was one of seven candidates — four of them registered Republicans — running for four, four-year terms on the board. He also appeared on the ballot as a candidate for a two-year term.
“I think he’s very honest and he’ll get things done,” Williams said.
Voters were turning out for local issues at Congregation Brith Sholom in Hanover Township, Northampton County. A proposed industrial development on land near Lehigh Valley International Airport has been a source of controversy for many residents.
One of those residents, Dale Traupman, said he can only vote in general elections because he’s registered third party.
“I’m interested in the supervisor race,” he said. “I know the candidates and I’ve been involved with the township planning commission for a long time. There will be a change in leadership coming up.”
Some voters coming out of Pen Argyl Borough Hall, however, said they were concerned about the direction of the country.
“This country is so screwed up,” said Jennifer Zubeck. “I’m taking it upon myself to vote for the person who puts the best interests of voters to heart. You’ve got to do that.”
In the two wards that voted at borough hall, election workers reported that a combined 170 out of 1,050 registered voters had cast ballots as of 4 p.m. Across town at the Lookout Fire Company polling site, 58 of 396 voters had cast ballots late Tuesday afternoon.
Election Judge Ann Weaver said that’s a great turnout for an off-year election. She said the count would usually be less than half of that.
“We’re a teeny tiny ward, so this feels really good,” she said.
The scene at Charles Chrin Community Center in Palmer Township was lively as voters filed in Tuesday afternoon for two precincts in the township’s Middle District. The township was having a competitive race for supervisor.
There was a line of more than a dozen people in the room hosting the first precinct, though the mood was laid back as the classic rock song “Hotel California” played from a nearby radio. Poll workers said about 290 people had voted as of 2:45 p.m.
Down the hall at the second precinct, the line was just as long. The election judge said 300 had voted so far out of 1,900 registered in the precinct. He said it was a good turnout for an off-year election.
Dozens of offices were on the ballot across the Lehigh Valley. At the top of voters’ ballots were races for Lehigh and Northampton County executive, the elected official who oversees the administrative duties of both counties.
In Lehigh County, voters chose between former Allentown police Chief and City Council member Roger MacLean, a Republican, and Democratic state Rep. Josh Siegel in a race that has centered around national politics as well as the county’s fiscal status.
In the Northampton County executive race, Democrat Tara Zrinski, the elected county controller, faced Republican County Council member Thomas Giovanni.
Some voters had referendums on their ballot. In South Whitehall and Williams Townships, voters had to decide if they wanted to increase their tax bills to allocate money to preserve open space in their communities. Hanover Township, Lehigh County, voters got to weigh in on two changes to the township’s home rule charter. And in tiny Chapman, voters were asked if the number of Borough Council members should be reduced from seven to five.
