(The Center Square) – Lebanon County polling places saw little action on Primary Election Day, despite the heated campaign between incumbent state Sen. Chris Gebhard and challenger Clovis Crane for the 48th State Senate District seat.
This, on top of Pennsylvania’s pivotal swing state status, where partisan control of the U.S. Congress could be decided in November.
“The primaries are always going to have a lower turnout than the midterms,” said Peter DeSantis, judge of elections at the Myerstown South precinct. However, Lebanon County, a Republican stronghold, seemed to forget that primary turnouts will determine November’s options.
All 203 members of the state House of Representatives and half of the 50-member Senate are on the ballot, as well as Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who hopes to clinch the Republican nomination on Tuesday to challenge Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in November.
Many polling places saw morning “rushes” of less than 10 people, with lunch break rushes being similarly nonexistent. With more than 60 polling places littered across Lebanon County, and mailing ballots offered to all, voting has never been more accessible.
But accessibility does not always produce action. For the past two years, Pennsylvania has struggled to attract even a quarter of Democrats and Republicans to participate in its primary elections.
“The reality of what we are experiencing right now, it’s very slow.” said Suzanne Fry Leabon, judge of elections at the First Ward East precinct.
For some, though, voting in the primary is just as important as the midterms.
“It’s a chance to make my vote count.” Pastor Dennis Wagner said, an 18-year resident of Lebanon City and a 70-year-old Republican voter. Wagner acknowledged the Senate race was his central priority in voting, but maintained he would have come regardless.
Wagner’s sentiments and age were common among Lebanon voters. Like last year’s primary demographics, ages 65 and up continue to make up more than half of the voters in Lebanon and Pennsylvania, with some faithful voters tackling municipal stairs with walkers and canes to do their civic duty.
For Linda Thomas, aged 67, voting in person was the only way to go.
“I feel if you can, you should vote in person. I’m not for the mail ballots. If you are not handicapped or in the service, you should come out,” said Thomas, who worked for more than 40r 40-plus years as a certified nursing assistant and has lived in Myerstown, Lebanon County, since she was a child.
While this year’s Senate race is currently one of the most watched and expensive legislative contests in Pennsylvania, the aggressive political bashing on both sides has turned off Republican voters.
Jesse Northridge, judge of elections at Lebanon First Ward West and social worker, commented on the strong feelings surrounding the Senate election but noted its “striking” irony considering the polling places’ grand total of 19 votes by lunch.
“It’s mostly a bunch of mudslinging and, who do you believe?” Thomas said.
Wagner also seemed to have had his fill of negative campaign flyers arriving in the mail.
Serving as a Wagner, who has been a pastor for much of the past 50 years, he said of the flyers, “IF they were all totally honest, it wouldn’t bother me.”
Results for this year’s primary will be decided as the votes continue to dribble in by 8 p.m., when the polls close.
