Schuylkill County Elections Director Albert Gricoski said workers counted approximately 18,000 names for write-ins in compiling the statistics for the Schuylkill Municipal Primary held in May.

“That was probably the most they had there in recent memory,” he said.

Two workers did the time intensive task that took about two weeks. The unofficial certification was done May 28. The count was completed June 4.

Commissioners certified the results June 7 to send to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

A total of 30,084 completed ballots were cast. There were 10,162 Democratic ballots, 18,758 Republican and 1,164 nonpartisan votes cast. Turnout was 34.14%, election data shows.

Democratic and Republican voters will have the choice to select District Attorney Michael O’Pake for the office in November.

He received a total of 8,955 Democratic votes. Of those 6,439 were cast May 18. Mail-in votes accounted for 2,508. Eight were provisional.

He received 450 total write-in votes on the Republican ticket. Of those, 371 were cast May 18 and 79 were mail-in.

O’Pake spoke about the votes.

“I feel honored, humbled and gracious and I use those three words because I believe it’s a reflection of how well our office is being run and the job my assistants, my staff and myself are doing to help administer justice in Schuylkill County.

“And by administering justice we become the vote for the victims, and we get to hold defendants accountable for their actions,” he said.

Those who received a select number of write-in votes will have information sent to them to return if they want accept.

A statement of financial interest must also be completed, Gricoski said.