Today is election day, and this year’s general election is focusing on county, municipal and school board elections.
One of the hotly contested races on the ballot is the race for the vacant seat on Indiana County’s Court of Common Pleas, with former District Attorney Patrick Dougherty running against Assistant District Attorney Gina Force. Judicial seats are up for grabs on the state level as there are races for state supreme, superior and commonwealth courts positions. Also on the ballot this time around are several races for school board. Six candidates are running for four seats in the Indiana Area School District. They include incumbents Julia Trimarchi-Cuccaro, Barbara Barker and Tom Harley. Also on the ballot are Sue Reig, Jim Shaffer and Doug Steve.
Some of the other school district races that will be closely watched include the River Valley School District, where several write-in candidates are challenging other candidates for the board. The Penns Manor district race will also be closely watched, as former board president Robert Packer is running for election back onto the board. He had resigned his seat as he was moving out of the voting precinct he was elected to serve. He is now running for the region 2 seat. While Lisa Smiley is running unopposed for the district 1 seat, the district three seat has Richard Polenik, Tammy Dalton and Kacy Crowley running for it.
In Indiana Borough, one race that will be closely watched today will be the Indiana Borough Council race concerning Ward 4.
On the ballot today is republican Tamara Collazzo running against democrat Sara Stewart. The problem is that Stewart resigned her post after moving out of the borough earlier this year. The move was made after the ballots for the election were finalized, so her name could not be removed from the ballot. If Stewart is elected to the position, then Indiana Borough Council would have to nominate someone to take her place on the board.
Stewart’s seat was filled earlier this year by Mary Lou Zanich.
Other Indiana Borough Council races include Ward 3, which features a race between Betsy Sarneso, Kaela Cardello, Luke DeBuyser and Don Hanni for two seats on the board for ward 3, and Gerald Smith, Don Lancaster, Jesse Collier and Shavonne Arthurs for two seats for ward 2. Joshua Krasta is running unopposed in the first ward.
The Indiana mayor’s seat is also being contested. That election is between Democrat Joseph Trimarchi, who was appointed mayor after former Mayor George Hood resigned his seat, and Republican William B. Simmons.
Polls close at 8:00 PM tonight. Those who haven’t submitted their mail in ballots must make sure they are in by 8:00 tonight for the vote to count. A postmark before 8:00 PM will not count.
The county voter registration office will be open until 8:00 tonight for people to turn in their ballots.
