Canvassing (the official tally) of Northampton County's election begins Friday, most likely in the training room located across the hall from County Council chambers on the courthouse's third floor. The write-in votes in each precinct will be printed out and processed, precinct by precinct, by a canvass board that includes at least Democrat and one Republican. This process is open to the public. It should take several days. This is the same system that has always been used for write-in votes. They just take time to count, and are counted in a way that leaves no room for doubt.
Northampton County's District Attorney's race includes 2,118 Republican write-ins. That pattern has been repeated on a smaller scale in several other races.
In County Council District 1 (Bethlehem area), where Republican Bill Rowe mounted a write-in campaign, there are 451 GOP write-ins. In County Council District 2 (Easton Area), where Democrat-turned Republican Kerry Myers sought write-in votes, there are 299 GOP write-ins. In the Upper Mount Bethel Supervisor's race, 563 Democratic write-in votes must be counted. In the Bethlehem City Council race, where Republican James Follweiler is seeking a spot, there are 178 write-ins. In Easton's Mayoral contest, where Republican Tim Reilly is running, there are 149 GOP write-ins.
