Voter turnout was mixed across the region during Tuesday’s
primary election.

In McKean County – where some voters experienced long waits at
polling locations – the voter turnout was 26.11 percent, according
to Director of Elections Judy Ordiway.

Of that figure, Ordiway said Wednesday that Republicans had a
32.08 percent voter turnout, while Democrats had 22.47 percent and
non-partisan, 3.79 percent.

Voters were faced with a flurry of local municipal races,
including for county commissioner, school board, mayor and council.
There was also a question regarding Act 1, which determined whether
school districts could hike their earned income tax rate.

“I thought it would be higher,” Ordiway said, adding that
despite some of the long lines, there really wasn’t a problem with
any of the electronic voting machines. “I think what happened is
everybody decided to go (vote) at the same time.”

Ordiway said, according to reports, the voter turnout was very
light in the early morning on Tuesday, but picked up as the day
wore on.

“I didn’t get a call about problems with crowds until about a
quarter to eight, when a candidate from Bradford called me about
it,” Ordiway said, noting there were extra machines available to
send out to a precinct that was experiencing problems. “We were
prepared for it … but were not notified there was a problem.”

By comparison, last year’s primary – which featured the use of
the electronic machines for the first time – realized a 15 percent
voter turnout, according to figures from the elections office.

That primary featured federal and state offices up for
election.

In the City of Bradford, there were long lines at G. Carlton
Ritchie Hall in the Sixth Ward, Second District, where a dozen
voters waited in line to cast their choices after the polls closed
at 8 p.m.

There was also a line at times at the Church of the Nazarene in
the city’s Third Ward, Second District, poll workers said.

Officials said the long lines could be attributed to voters
still getting used to the new computers and the large number of
decisions facing residents.

Elsewhere across the region, voter turnout in Elk County stood
at 32.16 percent and Cameron County at 37.52 percent. The turnout
in neighboring Potter County was reportedly around 25 percent.