Lack of Contested Races, Rain Deter Voters in Bryn Mawr and Gladwyne

In Bryn Mawr and Gladwyne, a lack of contested races and gloomy skies contributed to low turnout, which elections officials said was “not surprising” but “terrible.”

Republican candidate for Montgomery County Commissioner Jenny Brown stopped by the Gladwyne Fire House (Lower Merion 2-1) with running mate Bruce Castor at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday.

She said she started her morning in Pottstown and waited there for 45 minutes before the first voter came. The Gladwyne Fire House was the first polling place Brown had been to where more than 70 voters had turned out.

By 3:45 p.m. at the Bryn Mawr Community Center (10-3), turnout wasn’t great either.  So far, 65 voters had exercised their right—26 Republicans and 39 Democrats.

Republican Committeeperson Gregg Adelman guessed a total of 140 voters might show, and Democratic Committeeperson Doug Ross had a more conservative guess that 125 would have voted by the day’s end.  

“There are a couple of things people who know a lot of stuff care a little bit about,” Ross said of Tuesday’s primary races.

Adelman said local elections tend to have more of an impact on your day-to-day life than national elections.

Ross agreed and pointed to Ward 10 Commissioner Scott Zelov, a Republican, as an example. When Zelov first ran for commissioner, Ross voted against him based on his party but voted for him in the next election and encouraged fellow Democrats to do the same. Ross said he feels Zelov is rare in that he crosses party lines and has played a large role in several community projects, such as fixing the Five Points Intersection and getting Ludington Library rebuilt.

Sandi Nicholson, majority inspector at Lower Merion 10-3, said this Tuesday was the slowest she’d seen it “by far” in 15 years of overseeing elections.

“The phone calls and the mailings—there wasn’t a lot of that,” Nicholson said, adding the rainy weather also likely played a role.

Instead of the usual line at 7 a.m., she didn’t see the first voter until about 7:30 a.m.

“Voters see what number they are and chuckle,” said Lou Groux, clerk of elections there.

Nicholson said her goal for the day was to be able to flip the page, which is long enough to fit the names of 100 voters.

Democratic voters April and Chuck Snyderman said they’ve never not voted in an election, whether it’s the general or the primary.

“It’s disappointing, but that’s the way it is,” April Snyderman said of the turnout.

Chuck Snyderman said he believes the right to vote is often taken for granted, but the couple said while candidates and party representatives typically ask if they can put signs in their lawn, nobody stopped by this year.

“How can voters get excited if they don’t see anything?” he added.

Ward 11 Commissioner Lew Gould, who is up for reelection, was stationed outside precinct 11-3’s polling place in Harriton High School at 7 p.m., and said he’d been there since 6:30 a.m.

He said that some voters from the Democratic Party came to write his name in on their ballot, which he said he truly appreciates, but that most voters who turned out likely just considered it their duty to do so. 

Gould, who is running unopposed, added he’s ready for November.

Precinct 6-3, also at Harriton High School, had seen 82 voters by about 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Judge of Elections Barbara Rawls said she was not surprised, but added the change in location from Appleford Estates to Harriton High School after three years and the rain may have deterred a few voters. She added there was a sign at Appleford informing voters of the polling location change.

Steve Goodman, judge of elections at Lower Merion 11-3, called the turnout of 157 voters by 7 p.m. “terrible,” though he understands why between the off election year and many candidates running unopposed.

“The problem is, if you’re running unopposed you could have someone sneak in with write-in votes,” Goodman said. “The primary is still important.”