Latest news with #TinaPritts
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With 'many write-ins,' Somerset elections could take weeks to finalize. How it works
SOMERSET ― The county elections computation board started meeting Friday and will continue until its work is done, which could take up to two weeks. The main reason: "There were many write-ins," said Somerset County Elections Director Tina Pritts. In the context of elections, a computation board is a panel that reviews and validates election results, including write-in votes and potential irregularities. The overall primary "was very quiet. We had about a 24% turnout," Pritts said. In fact, the results statewide were similar, she said. In Somerset County, there were 11,428 ballots cast, 3,212 Democrat and 8,212 Republican. "We had four nonpartisan in Elk Lick Township because of the referendum (asking for a tax increase over the allotted amount)," Pritts said. Election results for Voters spoke out in the May 20 primary with their ballots on whom they wanted to sit on the state's intermediate appellate courts benches. Among the choices were state judges. There are two intermediate appellate courts in Pennsylvania: the Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court. Commonwealth Court presides over civil actions brought by and against the state government and hears appeals primarily in cases involving state departments and local governments. There is one seat open on the Commonwealth Court this year. The Democratic Party has one candidate on the ballot. Republican voters chose Matthew Wolford over Joshua Prince to represent their party in the general election with 5,270 votes to 1,949. More: Voters unofficially pick winners for two district judge nominations in Somerset County Superior Court handles criminal, family and civil cases that are appealed by county courts. There is one seat open on the Superior Court this year. The Democratic Party has one candidate on the ballot. Republican voters chose Maria Battista to represent their party in the general election with 4,803 votes. Opponent Ann Marie Wheatcraft received 2,460 votes. The local state trial court, known as the Somerset Court of Common Pleas, has a judge position open. So far, only Somerset County District Attorney Molly Metzgar (R) has declared that she is running for the position. She received a total of 7,539 votes in the primary for the position. More: Who will move forward to November from contested Somerset County school board slots Other countywide positions not contested were all running as Republican candidates and included: Cullen Swank, for coroner, who received 7,720 votes; Jeannie Custer, for prothonotary, 7,457 votes and Anthony "Tony" DeLuca for treasurer, 7,171 votes. These are the unofficial results, according to the county elections office. Once the computation board is finished with its work, the results will become official. There could be changes depending on the write-ins. This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Election results: Write-ins slowing Somerset County final tally
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voters unofficially pick winners for two district judge nominations in Somerset County
SOMERSET COUNTY ― Democratic and Republican voters chose candidates running for positions representing their parties to be placed on the 2025 November General Election ballots. The slots locally included magisterial district judges, mayors, school boards, and borough and township offices. Statewide voters got to give their nod to appellate judges candidates. There were 48,321 county residents registered to vote in the primary, 32,649 as Republicans and 10,737 as Democrats, according to Somerset Elections Director Tina Pritts. The mail-in ballots have remained around 3,000, she said. The state's municipal primary election ran smoothly, with county elections boards reporting only minor, isolated issues, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt at 9:05 p.m. May 20 in a media release. 'As always, I'd like to thank the hundreds of county election officials and the approximately 45,000 poll workers who made democracy possible today,' he said. 'Because of them, Pennsylvanians were able to securely cast their vote at more than 9,000 precincts across our 67 counties.' Registered Pennsylvania voters received about 800,000 mail ballots for this primary election. As of 7:30 p.m., counties were reporting about 70% of those ballots had been returned, Schmidt said. The following unofficial results are for the races for two Somerset County district judge offices. Magisterial District Judge 16-3-02 in Windber – six-year term – (Vote for one) Central City Borough; Indian Lake Borough; Ogle Township; Paint Borough; Paint Township, Shade Township Shanksville Borough; Stonycreek Township and Windber Borough Candidates: Amy L. Thomas (D), 279 votes Kayla E. Kormanik-Lucas (D) received 582; (R) 1,417 Magisterial District Judge 16-3-05 in Central City, six-year term. (Vote for one) Black Township; Casselman Borough; Confluence Borough; Jefferson Township; Lower Turkeyfoot Township; Middlecreek Township; Milford Township; New Centerville Borough; Rockwood Borough; Seven SpringsBorough; Upper Turkeyfoot Township; and Ursina Borough Candidates: Crossfiled Daniel P. Lewis (D) 100; (R) 473 Patrick Svonavec (D) 191; (R) 596 The remaining races will be posted on Wednesday morning. This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Candidates place on both ballots for district judge slots
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Somerset County 2025 primary election is here. What to know
Pennsylvania's 2025 primary election day is upon us. On Tuesday, May 20, Democrats and Republicans will be filling out ballots that vary depending on where voters live in the county. The races will include positions for magisterial district judges, mayors, school boards, and borough and township offices. Voters in Elk Lick Township will also have a local ballot question to answer about increasing taxes to pay for first responders. What: Somerset County primary races in schools, townships, magistrates and boroughs Somerset County Voter Registration & Election Office anticipates "a low turnout," according to Elections Director Tina Pritts. Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting of the Somerset County Board of Elections May 16, a resolution was adopted to change the polling location in Garrett due to the May 13 flooding. The polling place has been moved from the Garrett Borough Office to the Garrett Volunteer Fire Department at 303 Jackson St. The resolution can be found on the commissioners' and elections government websites. There are 415 residents who live in Garrett, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, and there are 256 registered voters there, Pritts said. All the other polling places have not changed, she said. There are 48,321 county residents registered to vote in the primary, with 32,649 as Republicans and 10,737 as Democrats, she said. The mail-in ballots have remained around 3,000, Pritts said. Somerset County voters will nominate a candidate for the position of Common Pleas Court judge. Currently, Molly Metzgar, Somerset County District Attorney, is running for that position on both the Republican and Democratic ballots. Statewide, voters also will be able to weigh in on primary candidates for judgeships for the Commonwealth and Superior courts. Each court serves a distinct role within Pennsylvania's legal system. The state's two intermediate appellate courts have the power to affirm or reverse decisions made in lower courts. Their rulings can be appealed to the state Supreme Court, Pennsylvania's court of last resort. Judges serve initial 10-year terms, then face a nonpartisan retention vote, which usually succeeds. The mandatory retirement age for Pennsylvania's judges is 75. Commonwealth Court presides over civil actions brought by and against the state government and hears appeals primarily in cases involving state departments and local governments. There is one seat open on the Commonwealth Court this year. The Democratic party has one candidate running, and the Republican party has two. Republicans will choose between Matthew Wolford and Joshua Prince. Wolford is a solo practitioner based in Erie and specializes in environmental law, though he has also worked in state government in the past. Prince, who is based in Berks County, runs a law firm that specializes in gun-related litigation. Meanwhile, Democrats will see only one candidate on the ballot, Stella Tsai. Tsai has served as a judge on Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas since 2016. Superior Court handles criminal, family and civil cases that are appealed by county courts. In the race for judge on Superior Court, Republicans will choose between two candidates and Democrats will see only one candidate on the ballot. Republicans will choose between Maria Battista and Ann Marie Wheatcraft. Battista is currently president at Judge Government Services, a consulting firm. A Clarion County resident, she previously served as assistant general counsel for the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and State under former Govs. Tom Corbett, a Republican, and Tom Wolf, a Democrat. Wheatcraft is based in Chester County and has served since 2012 on the county's Court of Common Pleas. She became the court's president judge at the beginning of this year. Democrats will see only one candidate, Brandon P. Neuman. Neuman, of Washington County, has served as a judge on the county's Court of Common Pleas since 2018. He was a member of the state House of Representatives from 2011-17. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. If voters are in line by 8 p.m., they can still vote. A completed mail ballot that was not sent must be returned to the county elections office, not at the polls, on election day. More: Elk Lick Townships residents will get to decide on a tax hike. What to know If a mail-in or absentee ballot was requested but not filled out and sent, that voter may surrender it, along with the outer return envelope, at his or her polling place, then vote on the county's voting system. If a voter goes to his or her polling place but their name is not listed, or they forgot to change their address or they went to the wrong precinct, among other reasons, that voter has the right to vote using a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot records a vote while the county board of elections determines whether it can be counted. This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County 2025 primary election is here. What to know
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Getting ready for the primary deadlines at Somerset County voters registration
The primary election is fapidly approaching. May 5 is the deadline to register to vote in the May 20 primary election in Pennsylvania. Registered Pennsylvania voters who want to vote by mail have until 5 p.m. May 13 to apply for their ballots. 'Voting by mail has become a popular, safe and secure option for Pennsylvanians to cast their ballots and make their voices heard,' Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidtsaid. 'Eligible Pennsylvanians who prefer to vote by mail should apply today (or soon) to allow for as much time as possible to ensure their ballot is received on time.' More: Elk Lick Townships residents will get to decide on a tax hike. What to know To date, 692,919 mail ballot applications have been approved ahead of the May 20 primary,Schmidt said in a media release. So far, there have been about 3,000 mail ballot applications in Somerset County, according to Elections Director Tina Pritts. The tally numbers of registered Republican and Democrat primary voters in Somerset County are not final yet, but municipal elections tend to have a lower turnout, she said. For those who want to vote by mail ballots: Voters should read all instructions enclosed with the ballot and fill out the ballot the ballot in the inner secrecy envelope marked 'official election ballot.' Then seal the inner secrecy envelope in the outer return envelope. Sign and write the current date on the outer return envelope. Other: Which Windber district judge candidates will be in the primaries after challenges? Completed mail ballots must be received by the Somerset County Elections office by 8 p.m. May 20, Primary Day. Mail ballots received after that time cannot be counted. Voters who received an absentee or mail-in ballot may vote in person on Primary Election Day if they bring their mail ballot materials with them to be surrendered. Voters who requested a mail ballot and did not receive it, or do not have it to surrender, may vote by provisional ballot at their polling place. 'No matter how you choose to vote – by mail ballot or in person at the polls on Election Day – what matters is making your voice heard,' Schmidt said. There are several municipalities and school districts that have positions up for election but no candidates. For those, there can be write-ins after the primaries for the November election, or if not, the current municipality can appoint someone to fill the soon-to-be vacant positions beginning in January, according to Pritts. This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Getting ready for the primary at Somerset County voters registration
