BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Tuesday is Election Day in Pennsylvania.
And if you’ve waited this long to figure out a plan to vote — or who to vote for — we’re here to help.
Registered voters will cast ballots for a multitude of local offices, including county executive, mayors, councils, school boards and judges at the state, county and local levels.
What offices am I voting for?
There are tons of local races that include your local municipality, school board and county offices.
Some of the higher-profile seats candidates are seeking include Lehigh County executive, Northampton County executive, Allentown mayor and Northampton County and Lehigh County commissioners.
Each county also has a vacancy on Common Pleas Court, so county judge is on the ballot, too, in addition to local magisterial district court judges.
You can find Lehigh County’s sample ballot here. For a rundown of who and which offices are on the ballot in Northampton County, click here.
Who’s running?
The leaders of your local municipality are on the ballot — city council, township supervisor, township commissioner, tax collector and other offices. School directors — the folks who sit on your local school board — also are up for election this year.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the more prominent offices:
Lehigh County executive
Democrat Josh Siegel, a state representative, is up against Republican Roger MacLean, a retired Allentown police chief and former city councilman. The winner replaces Phil Armstrong, who can’t run again because of term limits. See where they stand and how much money they’ve raised. Watch their debate on PBS39’s YouTube channel.
Lehigh County commissioners
Two district seats are contested this fall. In District 3, incumbent Democrat Zach Cole-Borghi is challenged by Republican Jacqueline Rivera, with the specter of criminal charges hanging over the current office holder. And the District 5 race pits Democrat Sarah Fevig against Republican Patrick Leonard to replace incumbent Republican Jeffrey Dutt, who is not seeking re-election.
Lehigh County judge
Democrat Mark Stanziola is facing Republican Patricia “Patty” Fuentes Mulqueen to join the Court of Common Pleas. This is a new judgeship approved by the Legislature. Armchair Lehigh Valley broke down the race with this preview.
Northampton County executive
Democrat Tara Zrinski, the county controller, is facing Republican Tom Giovanni, a county commissioner. The current executive, Democrat Lamont McClure, is running for Congress next year. Check out Armchair Lehigh Valley’s preview.
Northampton County Council
Democrats have a 6-3 majority on council now but five seats are contested in this election. At stake is party control of council. Republican incumbents John Brown and John Goffredo are seeking re-election, as is President Lori Vargo Heffner, a Democrat. Democrats Ron Heckman and Jeffrey Corpora aren’t seeking re-election, leaving two wide open races. See Armchair Lehigh Valley’s preview and candidate capsules.
Northampton County judge
Democrat Jeremy Clark and Republican James Fuller are vying for a seat on the county bench to replace Judge Anthony Beltrami, who is retiring. Armchair Lehigh Valley previewed the contest in this story.
Allentown mayor
Incumbent Democrat Matt Tuerk is seeking a second term, challenged by Ed Zucal, a retired city police officer who was defeated by Tuerk in the primary election and is running as a Republican this fall after a write-in campaign. They contrasted their styles and platforms in a forum a few weeks ago.
Bethlehem City Council
Five candidates are on the ballot for four open at-large council seats. Currently, all seven Bethlehem City Council seats are held by Democrats. Four Democrats and one Republican are in the candidate field, including incumbents Rachel Leon and Hillary Kwiatek. Armchair Lehigh Valley previewed the race.
Easton City Council
There’s only one contested council race in this election — the District 2 West Ward seat held by Democrat James Edinger. He’s not seeking re-election, leaving Democrat Julie Zando-Dennis to face Republican Sharbel Koorie for the vacant seat.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention
Democrats Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht are each seeking a second 10-year term on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. While retention questions normally receive little attention, the potential to flip control of the high court has drawn massive political spending in this off-year election. See politics reporter Tom Shortell’s preview. Plus, Political Pulse gets at why there’s so much attention on this race.
School boards
Local school board across Lehigh and Northampton counties are on this year’s ballot. Some helpful links:
When and where do I vote in person?
Polling place locations are available through the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Find Your Polling Place tool at pavoterservices.pa.gov.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
How can I return my mail-in ballot if I haven’t already?
A tip: If you have a mail-in ballot and you’ve waited this long to return it, don’t mail it today. Completed ballots must be received by your county election office by 8 Tuesday night – the time the polls close.
That means you have until Tuesday night to drop off your ballot at your county election office or deposit it at an official county drop box. To check the status of your mail-in ballot (and to verify your ballot has been received and will be counted) visit the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Election Ballot Status tool at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov.
Where are the drop boxes in Lehigh and Northampton counties?
This story lists the drop box locations and hours for both Lehigh and Northampton counties. Remember, your ballot has to be in there by 8 p.m. Tuesday or it won’t be counted.
I requested a mail-in ballot, but now I want to vote in person at the polls. Is that possible?
It is, with conditions. If you requested a mail-in ballot but now wish to vote in person, you must bring your mail-in ballot and the return envelope with you to your polling location. You’ll have to fill out a form before being allowed to vote on a machine.
If you don’t bring your mail-in ballot and return envelope to the polls, you can only vote by provisional ballot. That means the county elections board will have to verify that you did not vote by mail before the provisional ballot can be counted.
I haven’t moved, so can’t I just vote in person at the place where I voted last year?
You can in most cases, but some polling locations have changed. If that affects you, you should have received by mail a new voter card with updated information.
Who should I contact if I have problems or questions about Election Day?
Assistance is available from multiple sources. Among them:
When will we know the election results?
Unofficial results will be available on Election Night but they may not be complete. Mail ballots typically require additional time to process. Final tallies may take several days to complete and typically aren’t certified by county election offices for a week or so after the election.
Northampton County posts its election results here starting shortly after the polls close on Election Night.
You can find what Lehigh County is reporting onits election results at this link.
Of course, be sure to follow LehighValleyNews.com as it covers Election Night results and developments.