By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER

marcie@bradfordera.com

Tuesday is the primary election. This year, many of the offices up for election have no candidates on the ballot, meaning write-in votes are likely to be cast.

For a write-in candidate to be successful, they must garner at least as many votes as it would take signatures to appear on the ballot. In the City of Bradford and for McKean County seats, a write-in candidate must receive at least 100 votes. For townships, school boards and other local races, a candidate must receive at least 10 votes. Should no candidate receive the minimum number of votes, then no winner is declared.

Should more than one candidate receive at least the minimum, the highest vote-getter will win the spot on the ballot for the November general election.

If a write-in candidate challenges a candidate on the ballot in the primary, the one with the highest number of votes would win. While candidates from other political parties have become more active in McKean County, the closed primary system means candidates must wait until the fall general election to see their names on the ballot.

“Because Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote for their party’s nominees or write in a vote for an office in the primary election,” explained a spokesperson for the Department of State.

Voters not registered with one of the two major parties cannot vote in the primary unless it is a special election, there is a constitutional amendment up for vote or if there are ballot questions.

“Primaries in Pennsylvania are used to select the candidate who will be nominated by the Republican and Democratic parties. Any write-in campaign successfully waged in a closed primary will result in that candidate having the opportunity to appear on the ballot under the label of the party whose primary they won.”

For candidates of other political parties, the Department of State has directions for filing nomination papers for the general election at its website, pa.gov/agencies/ dos.html through the tabs for Programs, Voting & Elections, Running for Office, Third Party Nomination Paperwork.

The spokesperson explained “third-party candidates have until Aug. 1, 2025, to submit their nominating papers to appear on the fall ballot.”

Positions on the ballot that have no candidates include supervisor for Bradford and Annin townships, three seats on Kane Borough Council, mayor of Lewis Run and Mount Jewett and multiple seats of auditor, judge of election and inspector of election.

Write-in candidates are not tabulated immediately by county elections offices, meaning winners for many seats may not be immediately known on the night of the primary or in subsequent days.