So Far It's a Slow Day for Voter Turnout in Cranberry Township

When Sally Buchele opened the polling location at the Tuesday morning, she wasn't greeted by the foot traffic she usually gets as residents hurry in to cast their votes before heading off to work.

“There were probably three people there,” she said.

Workers at other poll locations across Cranberry also are reporting low voter turnout for Election Day. Polls for the township’s nine voting districts opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 8 p.m.   

As of 10:45 a.m. Kathy Tucci said 77 voters had shown up at the Cranberry West I voting precinct at the Cranberry Highlands. That’s out of 2,162 registered voters in the district.

“I think it’s even slower than the primary,” she said.

Still, incumbent said he was hopeful Tuesday’s sunshine would bring voters to the polls. After casting his own vote, he said the turnout at the polls was more than he expected, especially because the results of some of the local races were .

“I went to two polls this morning, and it was nice," he said.

Along with incumbent , Mazzoni is aiming for one of two open six-year terms on Cranberry Township’s Board of Supervisors. Running as a team, Mazzoni and Skorupan defeated fellow Republicans and in the primary, virtually assuring their win—barring write-in votes—in the general election because there are no Democrats on the ballot.  

In the hopes of getting residents out to the polls, Mazzoni said the township ran a banner on its at the corner of Route 19 and Route 228. The advertisement said real Americans vote and encouraged residents to do the same.

Only 17 percent of the turned out for the primary election, Mazzoni said. There also was low turnout for last year’s general election, he said.

That’s nothing unusual, according to Sandy Mullins, who has been a poll worker in Cranberry for more than 20 years. She said there often is a lackluster showing at the polls in a non-presidential election years like this one.

“When it’s an off-election, this is about typical,” she said from her post at the Cranberry East III polling location inside the gym at the on Tuesday.

That didn’t stop Craig Voland from heading the polls. The Cranberry resident said he always makes sure to cast his vote, whether it’s a presidential election year or not. He added local races often are more important than national races because those officials have the biggest impact on the everyday lives of residents.

“It’s my duty as a U.S. citizen, and it’s my right,” he said of voting.

Things were a bit livelier at the Cranberry West II polling location, which serves the Throughout the day, the facility runs a shuttle for its residents back and forth between the retirement home and the polling location at the Teen/Senior center inside the municipal building.

Amy Barrett, judge of elections at that location, said it’s not unusual to see older residents at the polls.

“They vote,” she said simply.

Back at Cranberry Highlands, Tucci added she also doesn’t see many young voters. Instead, she recalled a 92-year-old man who struggled to walk up the hill to enter the building and cast his vote. Tucci said she believed the gentleman was a World War II veteran.

“I'm sure he fought and went to war for this right,” she said.

For a complete list of Cranberry's polling locations, click Don't forget to check back with Cranberry Patch for up-to-the-minute election information and results.