In-person voters still plentiful in Centre County amid pandemic and early voting option
Centre County polling places welcomed plenty of voters Tuesday in a presidential election year marked by the coronavirus pandemic and a record number mail-in ballots.
There was a morning rush at several locations, including the State College Municipal Building and the Bryce Jordan Center. A second wave came about noon, county administrator Margaret Gray and election coordinator Jodi Nedd said.
“Things are going smoothly,” Gray said about 3:15 p.m. “We’ve received a normal volume of phone calls and questions, but I’m not aware of any issues being reported.”
Several polling locations were consolidated or eliminated, including long-term care facilities. Voting at University Park shifted from the HUB-Robeson Center to the Bryce Jordan Center.
Dozens lined up at the Spring and Walker township and State College municipal buildings, along with the Nittany Valley Event Center.
Other locations, including the Centre Hall Volunteer Fire Company station, had only a few handfuls of people waiting to vote as the polls opened.
A line persisted from 7 a.m. until about noon at Harris Township West, Judge of Elections Anna Kochersperger said. She estimated voters had to wait no longer than 30 minutes to cast their ballot.
More than 1,000 voters in the precinct voted by mail and another 700 voted in person as of about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Kochersperger said. By comparison, there were 1,589 ballots cast at the precinct in 2016.
Hundreds of poll workers and judges of elections reported for duty Tuesday, each inheriting an increased risk of contracting the new coronavirus by interacting with hundreds of voters.
Kochersperger was among those who were able to eschew any concerns they had.
“I have a job where I can work from home, so I’ve been able to keep my risk levels pretty negligible otherwise,” the 40-year-old said. “If this is the one thing I do that’s risky, it is well worth it.”
Others weren’t in the lower risk category.
Jean Folk, an 84-year-old poll worker who served with Kochersperger at Harris Township West, said she was “fairly determined” to build on her 21-year tradition.
“I have fears,” Folk said. “... But knowing Boalsburg as well as I do and living here 50-some years, this is just something I like to do.”
More than 100 people voted in the first hour at Ferguson North 2, Judge of Elections John McKinstry said. The line mellowed out from there, and there was no line as of about 2:45 p.m.
McKinstry, who said he had no problems holding down his post because “Election Day was worth it,” estimated wait times were no longer than 10 minutes.
“This is something I enjoy doing,” McKinstry said. “I wasn’t going to let this virus stop me from doing that.”
It was not immediately clear how voter turnout was tracking compared to previous presidential elections. The rate has ranged in the last three elections from 62% in 2012 to 72% in 2008.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 9:28 AM.