Most important elections for daily lives — local primary elections almost here

• Jordan Wilkie/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  As the democracy reporter for WITF, I will cover any kind of story that has to do with how we govern ourselves. That will include doing a lot of election coverage about how to access the ballot, how public officials administer elections, the technology used to run and secure elections, and the laws that govern it all.
  
  My work will also include accountability coverage for elected officials that use their positions to then undermine democratic institutions, like the legislators that voted against the certification of the presidential election results on January 6, 2021. If that weren’t enough, I foresee covering some local government decisions, fights over public records and transparency, and some candidate coverage in 2024. Many stories can have a “democracy frame” meant to help us all understand how our governments work and how we can shape them.
  
  I’m most looking forward to the community reporting about which WITF is passionate. I’ll be talking to a lot of folks about what they want out of their governments, local to national, and how they want to make their visions reality. I’m excited to meet you and talk, with or without a microphone on hand.
  
  I also like to turn my work phone off. When I do that, I’m looking for rocks to climb, trails to run on (slower and slower, somehow), and new places to visit. I’ve lived in the (extended) South for most of my life, so y’all will hear me say things funny and sometimes my hearing is funny, too, so we’ll figure out this radio thing together.

People fill out mail-in ballots for the 2024 General Election in the United States at a Voters Services satellite office at the Chester County Government Services Center, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in West Chester, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Voters will soon head to the polls in the first round of elections for local offices. Judges, mayors, school directors and judges of elections — among others — are up for vote this year.

Many local elections, especially those in counties where one party dominates voter registration totals, will be decided in the May 20 primary. Two statewide races will be on the ballot — one for Pennsylvania’s appellate criminal court and one for the appellate civil court. 

Pennsylvania’s primary elections are closed, meaning only people registered as a Democrat or Republican can participate, unless the local election has a ballot measure. In that case, anyone can vote on that single question. 

Secretary of State Al Schmidt says voter turnout is often low in local elections, even though these races have more immediate consequences for voters. 

“You’re making decisions on who is gonna represent you at your local level, who will have, probably, a bigger impact on your life than some of the bigger offices,” he said Thursday at a press conference. 

Voter registration closed on Tuesday, but those already registered can still request mail-in ballots until the 13th. Almost 780,000 already have, with 215,000 of those voters having already returned their ballots.

Schmidt advised anyone still waiting to request or return mail-in ballots to act quickly. With the deadline to request ballots so close to the primary date, voters won’t have much time to vote and return their mail-in ballots. Those can be delivered in-person to county election offices or to drop boxes, depending on availability by county. 

Voters can choose to surrender the mail-in ballot at their polling place to vote a normal ballot. Otherwise, voters who requested but did not return a mail-in ballot can vote in person using a provisional ballot.  

For in-person voters, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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