Allen: A "Reality TV Election"

Acting Administrator Cathy Allen. John Brrown (right)
and John Cusick (left) in background. 

Acting Administrator Cathy Allen updated NorCo Council last night on the November 8 election,calling it a "crazy, crazy day for all of us." She credited poll workers, the staff in the elections office and county employees from other departments who pitch in and help for a day. Though she acknowledged mistakes along the way, she was generally pleased with how things went. Here are a few observations:

• Voting Registrar Dee Rumsey received 6,608 absentee ballots, a record for Northampton County.
• One Bethlehem precinct was unable to deliver its returns until 1 am.
• In some precincts, "people were waiting for hours" to vote.
• EMS responded to six reports of medical emergencies at the polls.
• There were five motor vehicle accidents at the polls.
• Traffic had to be restricted at polling locations in Lower Mount Bethel and Moore Townships.
• The provisional ballots have been examined.

In my precinct, turnout was 75.68%, but nobody waited more than 40 minutes to vote and that was only in the first hour. Let me explain why. I positioned myself to greet voters as they came in the door, and made sure they went where they belonged. This is because, prior to the election, the Constable in Hanover had the foresight to get maps of each of the five polling precincts. If someone was at the wrong place, we found out quickly and sent them to the right place. These maps should be in place at every municipality with more than one precinct. They are a big help.

The biggest help is knowing that the elections office and machine technicians are just a phone call away. They have helped numerous voters who get confused about where they need to vote.