In Pennsylvania, independents don’t vote in the primary.
Pennsylvania voters went to the polls in the state primary on Tuesday, but the turnout was low in many precincts, with many uncontested races on some ballots. Some voters took the opportunity to pick up campaign yard signs that they will put in their yards to promote their favored candidate during the coming election season. Party members often sit near the door of polling places, show voters the ballot, advocate for certain candidates, and sometimes hand out yard signs.
The presidential race was a foregone conclusion, with President Joe Biden taking 93 percent of the Democrat votes, and former President Donald Trump earning 84 percent to get the Republican nod. Also still on the ballot in Pennsylvania were Democrat Dean Phillips with seven percent and Republican Nikki Haley, who received 17 percent of the votes, although both have left the race.
Some voters mistakenly assume that if a name appears on a ballot, the candidate is a viable option. This is the state that, in 2022, elected a Democrat, former state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, 85, a month after he died, because his name was on the ballot. So, his challenger lost to a dead man.
Independents do not get to vote in the Pennsylvania primary. There has been some past legislative action to change that, but as it stands, voters must be registered with a party to vote on that party’s ballot. Candidates can usually count on support from reliable voters who register with a major party and vote in low-turnout elections. They want to win over Pennsylvania’s 1,326,386 unaffiliated voters.
With 3,894,977 registered Democrats and 3,498,954 registered Republicans, the difference between the two major parties is only 396,023 voters, according to most recent Department of State numbers. That is what makes Pennsylvania such an attractive swing state for candidates, any party could win if they convince enough unaffiliated voters.
Counties start to tally mail-in ballots on election morning, and those results are posted shortly after the polls close. In-person votes take longer to count, so mail-in results don’t tell the entire story.
By Beth Brelje
