CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) — This year’s primary election may not garner the kind of attention a presidential election draws, but voters in Clarion County were still out exercising their right to vote Tuesday morning.
(Pictured, left to right: Lyn Ferguson, Majority Inspector; Lori Norris, Judge of Elections; Dan Parker, Clarion Borough Mayor and Clerk of Elections; Marilyn Harhai, Minority Inspector; and Janice Krueger, Clerk of Elections.)
In Clarion, some borough residents found themselves making their way to a new polling location Tuesday. Clarion Borough 3rd Precinct voters used to vote in Marwick-Boyd Auditorium, but this year the polling place was moved to the former Rhea Lumber Building at 840 Wood Street.
Lori Norris, 3rd Precinct Judge of Elections, said the people didn’t seem to be having any trouble finding the new location, and voter feedback on the location change had been mostly positive.
“People seem to like the new location and the availability of parking here,” Norris said.
Norris noted that the turnout early in the day had been fairly light, with just under 70 voters in at around 11:30 a.m.
“It’s been rather slow,” Norris said. “It is a midterm election, though, so that isn’t unusual.”
While voter interest may not be as high in a midterm year, some voters still focus on the importance of participation in any election.
ExploreClarion.com spoke to Mike Amato, a local resident waiting for his turn to vote at the 3rd precinct.
“I just think getting out and voting is important because it is a right that many women and men died for, to give us that right. Other people and other countries don’t have that right, and they’re dying for it, and I think it’s important is to exercise that right.”
Similar sentiments were echoed elsewhere in the county, as well. New Bethlehem resident Debbie Silvis, pictured below, was out to vote at the New Bethlehem Fire Hall on Tuesday morning.
“I think we don’t have a right to complain if we don’t exercise our right to vote,” Silvis said.
“I think it’s part of being allowed to live in this wonderful country; you should get out and vote.”
At the New Bethlehem Fire Hall, election officials Julie Evans, Darla Hinderliter, Lori Ferringer, Linda Sloan, and Judy Jacklin (pictured below) worked to help voters cast their votes, but they all noted they couldn’t do it without the hard work of Cindy Callahan, Director of Elections in Clarion County.
Hinderliter, who is Judge of Elections in New Bethlehem, said, “Cindy does such a great job of having everything set up. She deserves a lot of credit for what she does.”
Hinderliter also noted that, like elsewhere in the county, the turn out Tuesday morning was a bit slow, with only 41 voters in by around 10:30 a.m.
“We usually get busy during lunchtime and after the school lets out, though,” she noted.
The turnout in New Bethlehem was expected to be a bit better than in some other area, though, as Redbank Valley School District voters, regardless of their political affiliation, were able to cast ballots on a referendum question on raising taxes.
The referendum question read “Do you favor imposing a 2.9841 mill tax increase on real property? The revenue generated from the increased tax rate will be used to offset cost increases to the district’s 2018-2019 budget. This equates to an additional $43 tax for a property assessed at the average assessment of $14,514.”
“Having the referendum question might make a difference in turnout,” Hinderliter noted. “We’ll see what the afternoon brings.”
ELECTION RESULTS ARTICLES
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Wagner, Barletta Win Republican Nominations
https://www.exploreclarion.com/2018/05/16/oberlander-runs-unopposed-on-republican-ticket-over-900-write-ins-on-democratic-side/#more-283460
