A sunny day might inspire more Blair County residents to vote Tuesday, but based on past Election Days, voter turnout will be low.
"It's disappointing that we probably won't get much over 20 to 25 percent turnout," Blair County Republican party Chairman A.C. Stickel said Friday. "Yet these are the races where we elect the people who can affect our everyday lives."
Blair County Democratic Party Chairman Frank Rosenhoover won't let low turnout predictions keep him from encouraging people to vote.
"We have to keep reinforcing to the voters that their votes count," Rosenhoover said. "Every election is important ... but this is the one that's as close as we can get to fashioning our future."
For Tuesday's election, Blair County has 83,650 registered voters, the county's voter registration office reports. Those who go to the polls will be able to cast ballots for county commissioner, municipal and school board candidates and judicial candidates for the commonwealth, superior and magisterial district courts.
Two years ago, with the same kind of public offices up for grabs, 19.93 percent of Blair County's 84,305 registered voters showed up to cast ballots.
In contrast, more than twice that - 43.4 percent - voted in November 2010 when the ballot had gubernatorial and legislative contenders.
In November 2008, when Barack Obama and John McCain were seeking the nation's presidency, Blair County's voter turnout was 64.87 percent.
"I'm trying to remind people that it's important to vote," Stickel said.
For county commissioner, the Republicans nominated incumbents Terry Tomassetti and Diane Meling for their second four-year terms.
The Democratic party is offering commissioner candidates Jo Ann Nardelli, who ran four years ago and lost to incumbent Donna Gority, in addition to former Altoona City Councilman Ted Beam Jr. making his first run for a commissioner seat. Gority is retiring at the end of the year.
Tuesday's election also gives Altoona residents a chance to select four city council members who will be on a board expected to decide if Altoona pursues distressed status under the Act 47 and files a recovery plan.
Voters will pick four of the city's decision-makers on Tuesday from five candidates: Bruce Kelley, William Neugebauer, Erik Cagle, James B. Swan and Michael C. Haire. Kelley, Neugebauer and Cagle are incumbents.
Voters in four school districts, Altoona, Bellwood-Antis, Hollidaysburg and Spring Cove, will need to sort through the candidates seeking school board seats. School board races in the Claysburg-Kimmel, Tyrone and Williamsburg school districts are not contested.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.
