Published: November 02, 2008 12:03 am      

Local officials expect record voter turnout

Voter turnout may hit record high levels in Cambria and Somerset counties Tuesday with Pennsylvania still a battleground in the presidential race.

Also spurring the voter interest are hot races for three open state House seats and the U.S. House seat in the 12th Congressional District.

Election chiefs in the two counties predict voters will match or top the 74 percent turnout in Cambria and the 65 percent turnout in Somerset of four years ago, when President Bush carried both counties.

Weather should not be a factor in keeping voters from going to the polls Tuesday.

Most computer models are predicting “sunny and mild weather, with temperatures probably in the 50s or even the lower 60s,” said John Gresiak, a senior forecaster for AccuWeather.

Statewide, the turnout of eligible voters could reach 65 percent, G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and public policy professor, said.

“It’s going to be substantial, from all the signs we see in folks interviewed and (surveys) of registered voters,” Madonna said. “There has been a lot more interest in this election throughout this year than in 2004 and 2000.”

Although some races for state lawmakers and Congress have sparked interest throughout Pennsylvania, “people will turn out because they’re interested in the presidential race,” he said.

However, national interest has been drawn to the race in the 12th Congressional District, where longtime incumbent John Murtha is being challenged by William Russell, a retired Army officer, Madonna said.

‘Eyes are on that seat’

“A lot of national eyes are on that seat since the reaction to the (racism) comment (Murtha) made a couple of weeks ago,” Madonna said.

But without a doubt, political observers agree, the “big drawing card” is the hot battle between Barack Obama and John McCain for president.

They, along with their running mates, have made repeated visits to Pennsylvania this year.

But among the candidates, only Sarah Palin, the GOP nominee for vice president, has made a campaign stop in the two counties since the primary.

Thousands of supporters turned out for her appearance at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

McCain, in what was termed a nonpolitical visit, was at the Flight 93 site on the Sept. 11 anniversary.

Surrogates including Gov. Ed Rendell, campaigning for Obama, and former Gov. Tom Ridge, supporting McCain, made appearances here. Democratic Senators Bob Casey and Tom Daschle (North Dakota) also visited the region late in the week.

Helen Whiteford, Cambria Democratic chairwoman, predicted that 75 percent of the county’s voters will go to the polls. Although Bush carried the county four years ago, Whiteford is hoping Obama will turn that around this time.

Democrats hold a 2-to-1 edge in Cambria in registered voters, but Whiteford said “it’s going to be close (between Obama and McCain) because of the strong pro-life vote here.”

Robert A. Gleason Jr., who is both the state and Cambria GOP chairman, believes that McCain will carry both Cambria and the state.

Saying there should be a 70 percent turnout in Cambria, Gleason said, “People are excited, and we have an intensive get-out-the vote program.”

The polls, Gleason said, show that the race is tightening in Pennsylvania with only a four-point spread between Obama and McCain at the end of the week.

‘A very short ballot’

While there may be lines of voters at the polls, the wait is not expected to be lengthy locally, Fred R. Smith, Cambria election director, and Tina Pritts, Somerset’s election supervisor, agreed.

“There’s a very short ballot, with only two pages, and it should take only 11/2 to two minutes to vote, or perhaps slightly longer for first-time voters,” Smith said.

Cambria added one electronic voting machine at each of 28 precincts, based on increased registrations, Smith said. Cambria has 165. Somerset did not add any machines at its 68 precincts, Pritts said.

Pennsylvania voters will choose an attorney general, auditor general and state treasurer.

There also is a statewide referendum on a $400 million state bond issue for grants and loans to municipalities and public utilities for water and sewer improvements.