Election

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. -- Turnout for the primary election apparently has been dampened by the rainy weather conditions. Berkeley County Clerk John W. Small Jr. said Tuesday afternoon that he initially expected 25 to 30 percent of the county's registered voters would to go to the polls on Tuesday given contested races for State Senate, County Council and school board. But Small has since lowered that projection to about 15 percent and indicated that the number of ballots could be even lower.

For the Sept. 14 Maryland primary election, all election-related letters to the editor must be received at The Herald-Mail by Sept. 7. The last election-related letters will run Sept. 11. The Herald-Mail will start running election-related letters again Sept. 15, the day after the Maryland primary.

A letter released Wednesday confirms that a complaint about a Washington County election robocall has been sent to the Office of the State Prosecutor. However, there’s no indication that the prosecutor’s office will take the case. Elizabeth Paul, chairwoman of the Washington County Democratic Central Committee, had asked the Maryland Attorney General’s Office to investigate the robocall because of a questions about who authorized it and whether a state law was broken.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. --Leadership within the Franklin County (Pa.) Republican Committee changed Tuesday night when committee members packed the St. Thomas (Pa.) Fire Hall for a vote. "It was such a big gathering that we couldn't meet in the headquarters like we usually do," said Dwight D. Weidman, who was elected chairman. Franklin County's GOP voters select committee members from each of the county's 75 precincts every four years. Those committee members choose the party's county leadership every two years.

Franklin County Commissioner Bob Thomas has announced he will run for re-election this year. Thomas, a Republican, was first elected in 1995. “I enjoy serving the public, and my passion for service runs strong,” he said in a news release. In announcing his candidacy, Thomas said experience gained while serving with former commissioners G. Warren Elliott and Cheryl Plummer for 12 years served him well during his fourth term when the economy declined. “No question, the last three years have been challenging, but we persevered and the county has been doing well financially.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- Deputy county clerks in the Berkeley County Voter Registration office worked the phones Tuesday to line up poll workers and make sure polling locations would be available for the special primary election for the U.S. Senate seat. The Aug. 28 Saturday election posed concerns that churches and other facilities might not be available because of special events such as weddings, according to chief deputy clerk Bonnie Woodfall. As of Tuesday afternoon, Woodfall said she didn't know of any poll locations that needed to be changed.

Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus has won the election to be chairman of the Republican National Committee. He surpassed the 85 necessary votes in the seventh round of balloting on Friday. Former Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis and GOP operative Maria Cino came in second and third. Ann Wagner and current RNC Chairman Michael Steele dropped out in earlier rounds. Priebus will serve for the next two years.

— A Greencastle Borough Council member was inadvertently left off the list of candidates filing for office that was published on page B3 of Wednesday’s Herald-Mail. James R. Farley, a Republican who lives at 79 Celestial Terrace in Greencastle is running to retain his seat on the council, Farley said Wednesday.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Gov. Martin O'Malley is jumping full bore into re-election mode by saying Maryland needs to move forward, not back to the ways of his political nemesis -- former Gov. Robert Ehrlich. O'Malley, a Democrat, kicked off a three-day campaign swing on Tuesday in the Fells Point neighborhood in Baltimore. On Wednesday, O'Malley is scheduled to be in Hagerstown, Frederick and Columbia. Then, he will head to the Eastern Shore in Cambridge. On Thursday, he will campaign in Aberdeen, Catonsville and Glen Burnie.

Mayor Daniel Murphy and two members of the Hancock Town Council retained their seats in a municipal election Monday. Just 70 of the town's 1,112 registered voters turned out for the election, in which Murphy and Councilmen Sinclair Hamilton and Timothy Smith were unopposed in their re-election bids, said Virginia Stanley, the town's account clerk. Murphy received 66 votes to win his eighth two-year term, Stanley said. Hamilton and Smith, who were both running for a second four-year term, received 60 and 61 votes, respectively, she said.

A Republican Washington County delegate, with help from Democrats, is mounting a challenge to the repeal of the death penalty, a measure that was signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley earlier this week. Neil C. Parrott, R-Washington, announced the start of a petition drive at a press conference in Baltimore on Friday. With him were Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, a Democrat, and Sen. James Brochin, D-Baltimore County. “Life is extremely precious ... but, for example, if someone does something like the attack on the Boston marathon, they deserve the death penalty,” Parrott said, noting that the press conference was held not far from the finishing line of the Baltimore Marathon.

Candidates' signs are popping up around Jefferson County as four of its five municipalities are getting ready for their biennial elections in May and June to reseat or replace mayors and council members, according to city hall records. The four town are Charles Town, Ranson, Harpers Ferry and Bolivar. Residents in the county's fifth municipality, Shepherdstown, vote next year.   CHARLES TOWN: Mayor Peggy Smith is unopposed May 23 in her bid for another four-year term. Two of the four council incumbents running for re-election are unopposed - Chet Hines and Sandra Slusher McDonald - while Rich Bringewatt and Donald Clendenning have challengers.

Few contested races are anticipated in Franklin County, Pa., for the May 21 municipal primary election. Voters will be choosing nominees for judge positions, school boards, boards of township supervisors and borough councils. However, they do not have too many choices for those spots. In some school board races that have featured as many as 14 candidates in the past, there are four candidates for four open positions. The Waynesboro Area School Board, which often has featured aggressive campaigns, only has three candidates for four spots now that borough resident Erin Darrough has withdrawn.

Election requirements, how to break an election tie and firing a council member were among the issues raised this week as the Hancock Town Council discussed possible changes to the town charter. One election requirement, that council members running for mayor first resign their seats, came up in January's municipal election. Two councilmen, Nigel Dardar and Tim Smith resigned their seats to run against incumbent Mayor Daniel Murphy. That might not be the case in the future, at least for a person in Dardar's position, whose four-year council term was about to expire.

The Roman Catholic Church's first Latin American pope, who lived in a small apartment and used public transportation as a cardinal, sparked excitement among Tri-State area clergy and church members Thursday. Members of the clergy in the Tri-State area talked about their support of the newly elected Pope Francis, including Father James Nirappel of Saint Mary Catholic Church, who said his election will bring diversity to the church. He also noted that more than 40 percent of Catholics are in Latin America.

The following were among those who filed papers by Tuesday's 4:30 p.m. deadline to run for office in Franklin County, Pa. Names are listed by party in the order in which they registered. Pennsylvania's primary election will be May 21. The municipal election is Nov. 5. County Treasurer David M. Secor, R, incumbent, 1205 Ragged Edge Road, Chambersburg Antrim Township Supervisor Richard Baer, R, incumbent, 14175 Rocking M. Lane, Greencastle Chambersburg Area School Board Region 1 Dana R. Baker, cross-filed, 9533 Cumberland Highway, Orrstown Dean A. Horst, cross-filed, 724 Tristan Trail, Chambersburg Region 3 Robert A. Floyd Jr., cross-filed, 6852 St. Annes Drive, Fayetteville Kris Scritchfield, cross-filed, 1640 Anthony Highway, Chambersburg Region 4 Carl Barton, cross-filed, incumbent, 1505 Springview Circle, Chambersburg Region 6 Edward S. Norcross, cross-filed, 2568 Echo Springs Road, Chambersburg Chambersburg Borough Council First Ward Allen B. Coffman, R, incumbent, 112 Pennsylvania Ave., Chambersburg Second Ward John Huber, R, incumbent, 234 S. Coldbrook Ave., Chambersburg John (Sean)

Mark Bumbaugh has announced his candidacy for a Guilford Township (Pa.) Supervisor seat this election cycle. Bumbaugh is a Republican and lifelong resident of Guilford Township. Self-employed, he has owned and operated Bumbaugh Masonry and Building Construction for more than 25 years. Bumbaugh, 45, has served on numerous youth and community organizational boards, according to a news release. He has served as the president and chief executive officer of the Fayetteville (Pa.)

Mayor James G. McCleaf II won a third term in office during the town's municipal election Monday, according to complete but unofficial returns. McCleaf picked up 194 votes compared to the 86 votes for Esther R. Robinson, said Town/Clerk Donnie Stotelmyer. Scott L. Bragunier won one of two open seats on Williamsport Town Council with 180 votes, Stotelmyer said. Jeffrey Alan Redding has captured a second seat on Williamsport Town Council, Stotelmyer said Tuesday afternoon. Stotelmyer said Monday night that the race between Redding and Todd R. Kirby was too close to call following the town's municipal election Monday and at that the town's election board would have to recount ballots Tuesday.

Martinsburg will hold a special election May 11 to ask voters to decide whether to renew the city's police levy. Martinsburg City Council in a special meeting Thursday voted 4-1 to adopt an ordinance providing for the special Saturday election after holding a public hearing on the issue. Ward 5 Councilman Jason Baker, who pushed to have the levy question added to the 2014 primary election ballot to reduce election costs, voted against adoption of the ordinance. Ward 4 Councilman Roger Lewis and at-large Councilman Gregg Wachtel were absent.

Martinsburg will hold a special election May 11 to ask voters to decide whether to renew the city's police levy. Martinsburg City Council in a special meeting Thursday voted 4-1 to adopt an ordinance providing for the special Saturday election after holding a public hearing on the issue. Ward 5 Councilman Jason Baker, who pushed to have the levy question added to the 2014 primary election ballot to reduce election costs, voted against adoption of the ordinance. Ward 4 Councilman Roger Lewis and at-large Councilman Gregg Wachtel were absent.