The 2026 primary election results are in, and this year’s numbers don’t show high voter turnout across the county.
Of about 175,000 registered voters in Erie County, just over 36,000 cast their ballot — which is under 21% of voters.
2026 Pennsylvania Primary Election Results
The Erie County Director of Elections said those numbers were unexpectedly low, and voter turnout hasn’t been that low in a primary election in years.
She says a lack of contested races may have led to the low turnout, but now the Department of Elections is switching gears to the adjudication process.
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“When you scan your ballots at the poll, if there’s a write-in vote or an ambiguous mark on the ballot, then those images of the ballots have to be looked at manually to determine the voter’s intent, so that is what we’re doing today,” said Tonia Fernandez, the Erie County Director of Elections.
Fernandez said voters who submitted a mail-in ballot with an unverified ID have been sent a letter, and they will have to return that letter by next Tuesday to make sure their vote is counted.
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