Registered voters in Northampton County are being reminded that polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, for the General Election, and to plan for their trips to the polling station. County officials said turnout is expected to be high for the 2024 presidential and other elections, so voters should expect long lines, wear comfortable shoes and consider bringing a chair.
Signs for Republican and Democratic candidates line the sidewalk outside the polling station at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Hellertown borough, Northampton County, on Election Day in November 2020. (FILE PHOTO)
Northampton County has historically been a bellwether in major U.S. elections, and with polls showing an extremely close race nationwide between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Pennsylvania could again be the battleground state that decides it.
In addition to president, voters will be casting ballots for U.S. Senator, state Attorney General, state Auditor General, state Treasurer, Congressional Representative and State Representative.
Officials said all 154 precincts in the county will be fully staffed and equipped with 315 ES&S ExpressVote XL machines. The Elections Office said all precincts are ADA accessible, but voters who may have difficulty standing for long periods may want to bring a folding chair with them. In terms of accessibility, every voting machine will have ballots available in both English and Spanish, and special accommodations will also be available for voters with hearing or visual impairments.
Officials stressed that only registered voters who have not already cast an absentee or mail-in ballot will be eligible to vote at the polls on Election Day. Voters who are unsure of their registration status can visit vote.pa.gov to verify it ahead of time. To find their polling location, voters should visit the same website. First-time voters or voters new to a particular precinct will need to show ID.
The Elections Office said voters with mail-in ballots who have changed their minds and want to vote in person must bring their mail-in ballot with them so the judge of elections at their polling station can destroy it or ‘spoil’ it. Voters who fail to do this will have to vote by provisional ballot.
The Northampton County Elections Office confirmed that all of the voting machines that will be in use underwent logic and accuracy testing earlier this month. Only one polling location in the county has changed for this election. Plainfield Township Delabole has moved from Benders Mennonite Church to the Volunteer Fire Co. at 6480 Sullivan Trail, Wind Gap.
Voters experiencing issues or with questions before or on Election Day can contact the Northampton County Elections Office at 610-829-6260 or election@norcopa.gov.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.