Voter turnout projected to hit 30% in Westmoreland County

Rich Cholodofsky, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
·2 min read

Nov. 1—More than 200,000 Westmoreland County voters — or more than 80% of those registered — cast ballots during last fall's Presidential Election.

A year later, turnout for Tuesday's election is expected to be just a fraction of that, election officials said.

"We're saying it will be be around 30%," said Greg McCloskey, interim director of the county Election Bureau.

This fall's ballot in Westmoreland County is highlighted by the race for district attorney, where six-term incumbent Democrat John Peck is being challenged by Republican Nicole Ziccarelli. It's the first well-funded challenge Peck has had in his quarter century in office.

Ziccarelli, a lawyer for Lower Burrell, had outspent Peck by a margin of nearly 10-to-1 through mid-October as Republicans continue to add to its growing voter registration edge in the county.

Coroner Ken Bacha, a Democrat from Greensburg who has been in office since 2002, is fighting off a challenge from Republican Tim Carson, a restaurant owner and former mayor in Scottdale.

Tom Murphy, a former four-term Democratic Recorder of Deeds, and Republican Gina O'Barto, a finance clerk in the county controller's office, are seeking to replace retiring Democrat Christina O'Brien as prothonotary.

Acting Clerk of Courts Megan Loughner, a Republican from Unity, is seeking her first full-term in office. She is challenged by high school football coach and athletic director Muzzy Colosimo of Hempfield, who also is making his first bid for public office.

The ballot also features races for state appeals court judges, borough and city councils, mayors, township supervisors and a number of contested school board races.

McCloskey said the projected voter turnout is based in part on the more than 22,000 mail-in ballots sent to voters this fall. As of Monday afternoon, about 17,000 mail-in ballots — or 75% of the 22,700 sent out — had been returned to the county election bureau, officials said.

Turnout for the spring primary averaged 31%. There were 13,000 mail-in ballots cast.

Turnout for the municipal election in 2017 was 27%.

McCloskey said anyone who plans to vote by mail but has yet to return their ballot should do so in person at the courthouse prior to 8 p.m. Tuesday to ensure they are counted.

Polls will be open at the county's 307 voting precincts from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

McCloskey said county workers will begin to open and count mail-in ballots immediately after polls open. Results will be posted on the county's website once polls close. Officials said the first batch of results are expected to be posted around 9 p.m.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293, rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .