Statewide races plentiful Tuesday in Pennsylvania

November 06, 2006|by JENNIFER FITCH

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Franklin County will debut $370,000 in new voting machines in Tuesday's general election, which includes races for governor as well as the Pennsylvania and U.S. House of Representatives.

The voting machines, which convert paper ballots into computerized forms, were purchased to bring the county into compliance with the Help America Vote Act. Originally purchased for May's primary election, the county was notified by the supplier that they would be using substitute machines in the spring.

"We were supposed to have it in place for the primary, but the company couldn't manufacture them fast enough," Deputy Chief Clerk Jean Byers said.

The new AutoMARK machines were purchased for people with disabilities but can be requested by anybody voting in the county's 74 precincts. The 72 polling places for those precincts, like all polls in Pennsylvania, will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The only Franklin County polling place that has changed since the primary election is the one for Hamilton Township Three. Voters who in the primary cast ballots at Lehman Construction instead should go to Criders United Brethren Church on Loudon Road, Chief Registrar Jennie Aines said.

Voters in Franklin and Fulton counties will be asked to choose between Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster and Democratic challenger Tony Barr for the 9th Congressional District; Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell and Republican Lynn Swann; and Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and Democrat Bob Casey.

The 90th District in southern Franklin County features a tight state House of Representatives race between Todd A. Rock and 18-year incumbent Patrick E. Fleagle. Both are Republicans, although Fleagle will appear on ballots as the Democratic nominee after losing the primary to Rock.

In the 89th District - northern Franklin County and part of Cumberland County - Republican incumbent Rob Kauffman faces Democrat Andrew Alosi.

In Fulton County, Republican John Eichelberger Jr. and Democrat Greg Morris are set to square off for the 30th Senatorial District, after 32-year incumbent Robert Jubelirer lost the primary.

Republican incumbent Dick Hess and Democrat Gary Ebersole appear on ballots in the 78th District of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The district represents all of Fulton County and most of Bedford County.

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