This Election Day, LebTown will provide live updates from the field as voters head out to the polls to vote. Check back often to see updates, or follow us on Facebook for the latest.
Find complete ballot information below, as well as links to our previous coverage. If you’re voting in person today, you can look up your polling place here. Polls close at 8 p.m.
10 p.m. – Initial election results posted
The polls are closed and the votes have been counted. Find results here.
6:30 p.m. – Still time to vote, drop off mail-in ballots by 8 p.m.
With just under two hours until the polls close, it’s still not too late to hit your precinct or return your mail-in ballot.
The county’s 60 precincts will be open and mail-in ballots will be accepted at the county municipal building until 8 p.m. There is a dropbox for mail-in ballots at the rear entrance to the county municipal building at 8th and Oak streets in Lebanon.
LebTown asked election bureau officials how the longest day of their year was going on Election Day.
“This is my fourth election with this office and it’s been the quietest it has ever been,” said county employee Suzanne Houser.
Since all three incumbent county commissioners were on the ballot, an interim county election board consisting of local attorney Jon Arnold, court administrator Stephanie Axarlis, and Barbara Charles, wife of county Judge Bradford Charles, stood by to rule on any questionable or disputed ballots.
Arnold, who served as chair for the interim election board, told LebTown that as of 6 p.m. there were 70 ballots that were invalid. Those ballots either had no date or signature, or were missing the security envelope that must be returned with the mail-in ballot.
Otherwise, things were running smoothly throughout the day.
“Things have been proceeding along at a good pace,” said Arnold. “We have about 2,200 (mail-in) ballots (to process) of the 6,600 that were received.”
Arnold said he’d serve again as an interim election official if given the chance in four years. State law prohibits county commissioners from running for office in a year their name is on the ballot.
“I think it is one of the most important things a citizen can do is vote,” said Arnold, “and ensuring election integrity and that every legal vote that is cast is counted.”
If you happened to be unregistered for this election, don’t worry. Come tomorrow, the process will begin anew for the 2024 election with the first day to register opening to all county residents.
5 p.m. – Election Day photos from the Fredericksburg Community Center
LebTown stopped by the Fredericksburg Community Center today and captured the scene for our readers. Poll workers at 19-F, a.k.a. the Bethel/Fredericksburg polling place, were excited to have the media there to capture democracy in action, and even posed for a picture together.
This election, the polling place implemented new standing ballot stations to fill out ballots in a quicker way and expedite the process, and also provided more areas to fill out ballots.
Also at the polling place this afternoon was Mike Saphore, who is running for Bethel Township Supervisor.
In addition to at least one candidate being there in person, the polling place was also flanked by campaign signs.
4:40 p.m. – High school student learns about election process as poll worker
Jahkeim Medlock jumped at the chance to be a poll worker when the opportunity was presented to him.
“It was a chance to make $100 and I thought it would be cool to see what takes place during the election,” said the 17-year-old Medlock, a senior at Lebanon High School. Medlock was one of 11 LHS students to work polls in the city on Election Day.
Keith Rolon, Medlock’s 12th grade social studies teacher, had informed the class about the need for poll workers. Rolon told them they would get paid while gaining valuable insight into the election process at an assigned precinct.
“It hasn’t been too bad,” Medlock said about arriving at the Lebanon 1st Ward Middle before it opened at 6:55 a.m. and his 13-hour shift. “The most interesting thing that’s happened was seeing people come to the wrong precinct and helping them get to the right one.”
Medlock was assigned to running ballots through the DS 200, the scanner that intreprets the voter ballot and holds all of the data, and then giving “I Voted” stickers to anyone who would accept one.
“I never thought much about voting prior to today,” said Medlock. “But maybe I’ll vote when I am 18.”
3:50 p.m. – Voters, poll workers like convenience of E-poll sign-in
Poll workers at several precincts touted the use of electronic registration (e-poll) books to sign-in voters. Workers interviewed by LebTown noted their ease of use and satisfaction among poll workers and voters who utilized them during Tuesday’s general election.
Lebanon County election officials conducted a trial run in 12 of the county’s 60 precincts for this election to gauge if sign-in should be conducted electronically instead of paper books in future elections.
Read More: Certain county precincts will use E-poll books in Tuesday’s election
Both are exactly the same procedure for voters, but offer quicker sign-in at the registration table, according to Lebanon 1st Ward East Judge of Elections Suzanne Fry.
“Voters seem fine with it, the (poll) crew, no complaints,” said Fry. “The crew is doing very well with them.”
1st Ward East poll worker John Raytick said he was fine with using them.
It’s easier, and if we were busy, it would be quicker,” said Raytick. “They wouldn’t vote any quicker, but we’d be able to get them through processing quicker.”
1st Ward East voter Dean Eberly found sign-in to be convenient.
“It was very easy,” said Eberly. “The only difference was electronically intead of by paper.”
North Lebanon West Judge of Elections Karen Zimmerman said while her precinct did not have e-poll books for this election cycle, she would like to see them used in the future. This was Zimmerman’s first election in Lebanon County as a precinct judge after moving from the Lehigh Valley.
“We had them in the Lehigh Valley and I prefer them over paper books,” said Zimmerman. “Sign-in is easy and they help move voters through the (sign-in) process quicker, which is important when you get busy.”
3 p.m. – Judicial candidates work polls, say turnout light
LebTown caught up with Lebanon County Common Pleas Court candidates Donna Long Brightbill and Megan Ryland Tanner as they made last-minute pitches to voters at polling places.
The winner will become the first female Common Pleas judge in Lebanon County’s 210-year history.
Read More: Lebanon County judicial race is low-key as election day approaches
Republican Long Brightbill, holding a stack of “palm cards,” was at the North Lebanon Township building on Kimmerlings Road early in the afternoon, where she said she was spending the entire day.
North Lebanon Township has more registered voters than any other county precinct, but they were few and far between. Just two entered the polling place during the 10 or so minutes LebTown was there speaking to the candidate.
Asked about her prospects, she said “I’m feeling pretty good.”
Ryland Tanner, also a registered Republican, appears on the Democratic ticket after winning the May primary election, which allowed candidates to cross-file on both sides of the primary ballot.
She was joined on Tuesday afternoon by her husband and two daughters at Faith Baptist Church, one of three North Cornwall Township polling places.
Ryland Tanner said she had stopped at polling places in Jackson, North Lebanon, and North and South Londonderry townships throughout the day, and characterized turnout as “light but steady.”
She told LebTown that she felt good about her prospects, and had received “overwhelming support” at polls during the day, just as she had going door-to-door throughout the campaign.
1:50 p.m. – Candidate Mike Schroeder is having the time of his life
Candidate Michael Schroeder said he is living the dream as he runs for the office of Lebanon County Commissioner.
Schroeder and Jo Ellen Litz are on the Democratic ticket while Mike Kuhn and Bob Phillips seek the office as Republicans for four-year terms. All three commissioner positions are up for election this year.
“It’s been a wonderful experience,” said Schroeder. “I love going out and talking with people, meeting people, and it’s one of the joys of being a candidate – being able to meet all kinds of different people from various walks of life.”
Schroeder said he had met on Tuesday other candidates, their surrogates, and people he knows throughout the Lebanon Valley, adding it’s been “a really delightful experience.”
Just over halfway through the 13-hour window that the polls are open (7 a.m. until 8 p.m.), Schroeder said he had visited eight of the county’s 60 precincts with more to go before voting ended. He said the “dream” portion of this experience has been the opportunity to potentially serve Lebanon County voters as an elected official.
“Public service is something that is so profoundly important,” said Schroeder. “To offer yourself up to voters is how I view this enterprise. I am offering the voters and the public an alternative. You put yourself out there, you take risks and it is kind of an enchanting experience.”
Schroeder said he would hit additional precincts as part of his Election Day campaign strategy.
“Yeah, until 8 o’clock, but if not 8, then at least 7:30,” Schroeder said with a big smile and a laugh.
12:05 p.m. – Candidate Mike Kuhn weighs the cost of a vote
Voting together has long been a family tradition for candidate Mike Kuhn and his wife Yvonne and this year was no different for this election.
Kuhn seeks to retain the office of County Commissioner on the Republican ticket, vying for one of the three commissioner seats along with fellow Republican Bob Phillips and Democratic candidates Jo Ellen Litz and Michael Schroeder.
At their polling precinct at the Lebanon Church of the Brethren, Yvonne, who was sporting an “I Like Mike” sweatshirt, sat next to her husband while filling out her ballot. Given the light turnout at the moment, the room was quiet and LebTown could hear Kuhn joke that she’d cast her vote for him – if he allowed her to get a puppy.
“He knows that I would like to have another dog, I’d like to have a girl dog because Winston needs a little sister,” said Yvonne about their 9-year-old male dog that is a Shiba Inu. “That breed is a Japanese hunting dog.”
Candidate Kuhn took the “extortion” in good stride.
“I didn’t make any promises since I couldn’t tell who she was voting for with her ballot,” said Kuhn with a chuckle and a smile. “I asked the poll workers if it was legal for someone to extort a candidate in a polling place. But you’re right, good candidates don’t make promises they can’t keep.”
(Kuhn said he knows he will eventually cave with Yvonne, adding that she’ll probably wait until after the holidays to add to their canine family.)
11:15 a.m. – Candidate Jo Ellen Litz lends a helping hand on Election Day
Incumbent county commissioner candidate Jo Ellen Litz has a tradition of helping voters on Election Day.
Litz is running for County Commissioner on the Democratic ticket. Michael Schroeder is the other Democratic candidate, alongside Republicans Bob Phillips and Mike Kuhn, with all four candidates competing for three commissioner seats in this general election.
In the past, she’s driven voters who can’t operate a vehicle to the polls and even assists them in and out of the precincts so that they can cast their vote, Litz said. That tradition, however, had to be stopped this year since state law prevents her from entering a precinct as a candidate for office.
“I can give a ride but I can’t go inside to help them,” said Litz. “I have this one lady who I’ve helped for a number of years. For one reason or another, I have this tradition of helping people get to the polls.”
Being prohibited from entering a precinct has not prevented her from trying to assist the voting process on Election Day. LebTown caught up with candidate Litz at Ebenezer United Methodist Church, one of two new voting precincts in Lebanon County this election cycle.
“I am here to observe and talk to people about their experience in finding the new location,” said Litz, who added she would be visiting the other new precinct in South Lebanon Township later in the day.
She had noticed by late morning that more handicap parking signs were needed for the lower lot parking and more signs directing voters to the rear entrance of the church since that’s were the precinct was located. Some voters were attempting to enter via the main entrance to the church.
“People were confused but eventually figured it out,” said Litz.
11 a.m. – Candidate Bob Phillips casts vote in his final election
With a full schedule of last-minute campaigning on Election Day, incumbent County Commissioner candidate Bob Phillips cast his vote “sharply at 7:30 a.m.” at his precinct in North Cornwall Township.
Phillips is running on the Republican ticket along with Mike Kuhn, while Jo Ellen Litz and Michael Schroeder, the Democratic candidates, are also vying for three commissioner seats in this general election.
Phillips, sporting a blue jacket and blue vest, white dress shirt and an American flag tie, was a sharp-dressed candidate on Election Day. The tie has special significance for Phillips, he said, since today is one of two we have to exercise our right as American citizens to vote.
“I bought this from Bill Carpenter, the former county commissioner. He wouldn’t give it to me, he sold it to me,” said Phillips with a laugh. “I have several of them from him. He was a tie nut with political stuff and flags, so that’s how I ended up with this tie to wear on this occasion.”
Phillips said he’s happy this is the last day he’ll ever campaign. Whatever the outcome of today’s election, Phillips does not plan to run again in the future.
“This is it,” said Phillips, in response to this being his last election. “The campaigning is the most challenging part. That is something I won’t miss. When you realize this is the last Saturday I have to go door-to-door and have to be out trying to schedule people. But we’ve had a great team.”
10 a.m. – Warm temps may lead to higher turnout
Lebanon County Weather has forecasted Tuesday, Nov. 7, to be a “beautiful day” across the region as with cloudy skies in the morning giving way to sunshine and an afternoon high in the upper 60s. Temps will return to the 50s by the time polls close at 8 p.m.
There are several schools of thought when it comes to how weather conditions impact voter turnout on Election Day.
An article from the Electoral Studies journal, published by ScienceDirect, suggests that the weather on Election Day directly impacts voter turnout, with rainy conditions decreasing turnout and sunny conditions increasing turnout. Researchers found that the weather disproportionately affects voters in their 20s and early 30s who have only voted in a few elections.
Yet, additional research published by Cambridge University Press suggests that the weather does not merely impact voter turnout. Researchers found that unpleasant conditions lead voters to pick candidates that they feel are less risky.
Still, others believe that weather conditions have little to no impact on voter turnout or voters’ decisions in picking candidates. Some believe that other factors, such as voters’ emotional states while voting, may be just as impactful as the weather.
With unseasonably warm temperatures for the Nov. 7 municipal election, it is looking like a great day to get out there and vote!
7:30 a.m. – Mail-in ballot counting starts
LebTown was up before sunrise to catch mail-in ballot counting at the Lebanon Municipal Building.
Bureau of Elections and Voter Registration head Sean Drasher and his staff were in bright and early Tuesday morning to oversee the counting of about 6,600 mail-in ballots by 21 volunteer canvassers as the county’s interim Election Board stood by to rule on any questioned ballots.
The volunteers, divided into “Team Liberty” and “Team Freedom,” listened as Drasher, standing by a machine that slits open envelopes, described the procedures they would use to tabulate the ballots.
Since all three incumbent county commissioners were on the ballot, an interim county election board consisting of local attorney Jon Arnold, court administrator Stephanie Axarlis, and Barbara Charles, wife of county Judge Bradford Charles, stood by to rule on any questionable or disputed ballots.
Once the canvassers were briefed by Drasher, ballots were distributed and counting commenced on two DS450 machines.
7 a.m. – Polls are now open
All 60 county precincts were set to open at 7 a.m., and will remain open until 8 p.m. for registered voters to cast their ballots. Those who still have their mail-in ballots must deliver them to the county building on 8th Street in Lebanon by the time polls close later today.
County elections chief Sean Drasher said any voter who still has their mail-in ballot should deliver it to the dropbox at the rear entrance to the Municipal Building, off the main parking lot.
All mail-in ballots must be in the hands of election officials by 8 p.m., Drasher stressed. He cautions voters that mail-in ballots mailed Tuesday will not be delivered in time to count. Drasher urged voters not to wait until the last minute to deliver their ballots to the dropbox at the county building.
6:45 a.m. – E-poll trial runs ready to go at certain precincts
Voters in 12 of the county’s 60 voting precincts should expect to sign electronic registration books instead of paper ones when they go to the polls today to vote.
Sean Drasher, department head of Voter Registration/Elections, said the county is experimenting with electronic (e-poll) books as a more efficient and faster method of adding voting data to county records after the election is over.
Steele Shippy, chief growth officer for KNOWink, one of two companies providing the electronic books to the county at no cost to county taxpayers, said the devices also provide easy workflows and prompts for the poll worker to look up voter records.
“A clear notification informs the poll worker that the voter is cleared and then it walks them through the prompts to check them in on Election Day,” said Shippy. “There are color codes for inactive voters.”
Poll workers also can see via other color codes whether a voter has requested or returned their mail-in ballot.
“If there is a discrepancy with a mail-in ballot and the voter believes the ballot wasn’t received, there is still a workflow to process a provisional ballot,” said Shippy. “At the end of the day, the application process, the voter tags, the voter information is easily labeled for poll workers to process and communicate effectively to voters.”
The sign-in screen includes the voter’s name, date of birth, party registration, home address, and voter identification number. The book also shows the precinct’s name, precinct number and the voter’s current voting status.
A separate area would indicate whether or not a person is at the wrong precinct. If that were to happen, a poll worker would print the precinct name and address as a courtesy to the voter.
6:30 a.m. – To vote or not to vote? That’s never the question for these three locals
There are a plethora of excuses voters give for skipping an election.
In the eyes of Robert and Margaret Fidler and Bonnie Kantner, however, every American of voting age should hit the polls on Election Day. Exercising your right to vote is one of the most precious rights afforded American citizens.
The trio of county residents were recently inducted into the Pennsylvania Voter Hall of Fame for having voted in 50 consecutive general elections. A total of 187 Lebanon countians are enshrined in the state’s hall with their recent inclusion, according to a Pennsylvania Department of State spokesman.
In the case of Robert and Margaret, they have voted in 63 consecutive elections – since they got married in 1960. Asked if she’s contemplated missing an election, Margaret gives a frank answer.
“Hmmmmmm, nope,” said Margaret. “”If I can get out to do other things, I can go vote too. It is all about your priorities. People will find ways to do stuff that is important to them.”
Kantner not only enjoys the political process but actively campaigns for candidates, knocking on doors, being a poll greeter and helping to raise support for would-be public servants.
“Not only do I vote in every general election, but I never miss a primary election, either,” said Kantner. “We have a group of ladies that gets together and only one of us has missed an election and that was because she was in the hospital to give birth to her son on Election Day.”
It’s never too late to start your own voting streak. Polls are open today 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Results
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