Voting was light throughout the region Tuesday despite contested races

“Very quiet,” said Sara May-Silfee, the director of Election/Voter Registration in Monroe County. “It was very slow.”

“Things are definitely quiet today,” said Brittney Waylen, the deputy director of Administration, Public Information Officer for Northampton County. “And we’ve experienced no issues either.”

Silfee said her office sent out 9,106 mail-in and absentee ballots. By Tuesday afternoon, the Elections Office staff had counted all 6,374 mail-in and absentee ballots sent in by voters.

In Northampton County, the Elections Office had received 23,480 requests for mail-in and absentee ballots. As of 4 p.m., 17,021 of those ballots were returned by voters.

School board races

School board races were an important part of the primary, setting the field for Novembers. Many candidates cross-file but in some districts there weren’t enough candidates.

Write-in candidates will make up a majority of the Jim Thorpe Area School District board of directors race in November.

While five seats were up for grabs, only one cross-filed candidate was on Tuesday’s primary ballot.

Michele Mazzola received 776 token Republican votes and 698 votes from Democrats.

The other four candidates will come from the 153 Democrat and 172 Republican write-in votes.

Jim Thorpe could see a huge turnover on the board as incumbents Scott Pompa, Cindy Henning, T.J. Garritano, Pearl Downs-Sheckler and Paul Montemuro did not seek re-election.

Meanwhile, Palmerton Area School District awaits one write-in candidate from each party to round out its November slate.

Incumbents Sherry Haas and Brandon Mazepa, as well as newcomers Mary Jo King and Kris Schaible are locked in and will be joined by the top write-in candidate from each party.

Mazepa led the way on the Democrat ticket, receiving 465 votes, followed by King with 459, Haas with 444 and Schaible with 387. There were 95 write-in votes by Democrats.

On the Republican ticket, King came out on top with 615 votes, followed by Haas with 551, Mazepa with 529 and Schaible with 491. There were 85 Republican write-in votes.

Tamaqua school district has two challengers, Jessica Tirpak and Sam Koch, pitted against incumbents.

Five available director seats, all which carry a four-year term with incumbents Trina Schellhammer, Melanie Dillman, Thomas Bartasavage Jr., Daniel Schoener and Larry Wittig on the ballot.

Tirpak and Koch, parents in the district, have been open in saying they filed a lawsuit over the district’s handling of assaults on students.

Tirpak said, “The only way to make change is to be part of it.”

Field narrowed

A field of seven candidates for the seat of District Judge 56-3-03 narrowed to two on Tuesday with Billy O’Gurek winning on the Democratic ticket and Beth A. Dodson winning on the Republican ticket.

They will face each other in the November General Election for the seat vacated by retiring District Judge Casimir Kosciolek.

His district serves Lansford, Nesquehoning and Summit Hill boroughs and East Penn Township and a portion of Mahoning Township.

Dodson, an attorney, said Thursday, “Over the past few months, I met hundreds of great people in our district and reconnected with so many others.

“Thank you all for answering your doors, inviting me onto your porches and into your homes, caring about the future of our community, and most of all, for placing your confidence in me for this role. I will continue to work hard and am looking forward to meeting more of you between now and November.”

She commended the other candidates and their supporters for their efforts and wanting to serve the community.

O’Gurek, a Children & Youth Services auditor for the Pennsylvania Auditor General, said Wednesday, “It means a lot. You never know how it will play out with seven candidates. The feedback was good, and it was good meeting and talking to people.”

O’Gurek, who lives in Summit Hill, expects to continue to get out into the community to talk to people as his campaign winds into the fall.

Kristine Porter, Jarrad Hedes, Marta Gouger and Kelly Monitz Socha contributed to this story.