As the nation turns its gaze toward Pennsylvania, a state critical in deciding the course of the country's leadership, Westmoreland County officials predict a near-record turnout at the polls for this presidential election. Greg McCloskey, Westmoreland County Elections Director, expects voter participation to hit the 85-90% mark, as detailed by WPXI. This anticipation speaks to an active electorate, somewhere between 215,000 and 230,000 voters taking action this election cycle. The county's engagement in the democratic process is firmly on display, with nearly 60,000 absentee ballots requested and Democrats and Republicans returning 26,000 and 21,000 of those ballots, respectively.
Meanwhile, in Allegheny County, a sunny forecast compliments the bright outlook on voter turnout, with expectations hovering around 70-75% of the county's 953,000 registered voters selecting, as Allegheny County spokesperson Abigail Gardner reported. Yesterday afternoon, officials had received 87% of the 61,000 mail-in ballots distributed in Westmoreland County and 84% of the 257,650 mail-in ballots in Allegheny County, according to TribLIVE.
The robust return rate of mail-in ballots suggests a trend of increasing reliance on absentee voting, a shift noted by Commissioner Doug Chew in his comments shared with WPXI. Even though fewer mail ballots were requested compared to the 2020 election, this cycle's return rate is notably higher. Chew doesn't anticipate a shift in Westmoreland's margins despite efforts by opponents, considering the Republican voter registration surpasses Democrats by over 40,000 in the county.
Voting proceedings weren't just a quiet affair; in Allegheny County, long lines greeted the morning at Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside, bustling with voters eager to play their part in the nation's future. By afternoon, more than 215,000 mail-in ballots' outer envelopes had been opened, the inner sanctums breached, ballots extracted in a loud room, being tallied with the refined choreography of county workers at the County Courthouse in Greensburg.
Officials are deploying every necessary resource to remind voters of their rights, including that if they find themselves in line by 8 p.m., they are to stay rooted in that line, as their vote will be counted.
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