Steady Stream of Voters Turn Out in Northampton

Updated, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.: Voter turn out continued to be steady throughout Election Day in Northampton Township, according to election officials at several polling places. 

As of 5 p.m., 886 voters cast ballots at the Senior Center, the voting hub for district 7, according to Pete Palestina, secretary of the Republican Committee. 444 of those were Republican, 342 Democrat and 100 were "Others," Palestina said.

At that time, with 3 hours left to vote, more than 55 percent of all registered voters in that district turned up to vote.

As of 5:15 p.m., 960 votes had been cast at Ohev Shalom of Bucks County, according to the Judge of Elections James Heflin. He said there are a total of 1,590 registered voters in district 12, and he expects between 1,150 and 1,225 to show up.

"That's approximately the same as in 2008," he said.

Roughly 50 percent of the registered voters in district 18 showed up to vote at the township administration building by 5:30 p.m., according to Marc Pontarelli, chief of elections at that location. 790 votes had been cast at that time.

By 6 p.m., 1,232 people had voted at Richboro Middle School, Chief Judge David DeKorte, Sr. said. There was a 30 to 45 minute wait at that location during the after-work rush, but no problems or issues were reported.

DeKorte said that a few people showed up thinking they were registered with district 6, but were still registered where they went to college or at a previous address. 

"That's typical," he said. "So nothing out of the ordinary."

Voters still had two hours to make their way to the polls, which officially closed at 8 p.m. However, if a resident was in line before the polls closed, they were still permitted to vote.

Original Post, Tuesday, 2:50 p.m.: Election officials say a steady flow of residents have been making their way to the polls this morning and afternoon in Northampton Township.

The first two hours were busiest, according to a volunteer working the polls for Northampton Township No. 15, a Republican committee man for district 7, and the chief judge at district 18.

"It's been quite a turnout," Chief Judge Marc J. Pontarelli said. "At about quarter to 7 people lined up. We've been averaging between 60 to 100 people an hour."

Pontarelli, who is overseeing the polls at Northampton Township District 18 at the township administration building, said this race has people out voting, on all sides.

A total of 472 people voted at that location, as of 12:30 p.m., Pontarelli said. 

Across the hall, where residents of district 18 vote, a volunteer said there was a line out the door in the morning.

"We hadn't even had a chance to drink coffee," she said.

As of 12:45 p.m., 519 votes had been cast at that location.

Nearby, Pete Palestina, who is the secretary of the Republican Committee for District 7, said that 566 people had voted by noon. Palestina is set up at the Senior Center, keeping tabs on the elections' progress.

"So far 35.6 percent of registered voters in this district have showed up," Palenstina said.

As of 12 p.m., 298 Republicans, 208 Democrats and 60 "others" voted at the Senior Center. Palenstina said he was impressed by the turnout so far.

"I think we'll have an 82 to 85 percent turnout here," he added.

Polling places usually slow down in the afternoon. Palestina said there would be a lull until 4 p.m. or so, and then it would pick up between 5 and 7 p.m.