Rainy, chilly weather has helped put a damper today on voter turnout across Centre County, primary-election observers said this afternoon.
The county Office of Elections and Voter Registration projected an overall turnout of about 20 percent, said assistant director Jodi Neidig. She said primary-election turnout is normally light, anyway, even on good-weather days.
‘We’re hoping that people will come out later today,’ county GOP Secretary Deb Flavin said in mid-afternoon. ‘Right now, I think it’s a little lower than what we had hoped.’
Dreary skies have blocked the sun since this morning, and rain has fallen on the county occasionally throughout the day. But the area may see a break from precipitation around dinnertime, according to AccuWeather.com.
That could be good news for turnout rates. In Huston Township, turnout has improved as the rain has eased up, said Tor Michaels, a campaign aide to state Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township. Conklin is seeking reelection this year in the 77th House District.
‘I think the weather is having a tremendous impact on the turnout here,’ said Michaels, working at the Huston polling place. ‘I hate to categorize anything as low, but it is lower than normal.’
Still, Flavin said turnout in some municipalities ‘was going gangbusters earlier this morning.’ Those areas included Bellefonte and Benner, Haines and Halfmoon townships, she said.
Polls are open until 8 p.m. Pennsylvania voters are deciding a number of high-profile primary contests today, including the Democratic race between incumbent U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Media, who is seeking Specter’s seat.
Other key contests with local ties include the Democratic race for lieutenant governor, in which Conklin is a candidate. On the Republican side, Joyce Haas, of Patton Township, and Ron Reese, of Worth Township, are seeking their party’s nomination for the 77th District House seat. Voters also are choosing nominees in the gubernatorial primaries.
StateCollege.com will post election results as they roll in tonight.
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