Election 2024 updates: Biden protest votes, worrisome turnout, full race results

Voting in the presidential primary wrapped up in Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening. Traffic at polling stations tended to be light, reflecting the low voter turnout, a fact supported by polling data that shows that voters here are not enthused by their choices.

One challenge for Biden: the number of write-in votes, many of which are the result of a grassroots movement of voters concerned about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“Results are still being reported, but the campaign has exceeded its goal of 40,000 total write-ins for Democratic President in the Primary with over 57,951 votes so far,” the Uncommitted PA coalition announced on its website Tuesday night, claiming victory.

The number is also likely to grow as tallies are finalized. In a state where Trump and Biden won by only 44,000 and 80,000 votes, respectively, it could have an impact on the general election.

Trump also experienced clear — and maybe even greater — dissatisfaction among Republican primary voters. More than 150,000 cast their support for Nikki Haley, who dropped out early last month, but her name still appeared on the ballot. She ended up with nearly 17% across the state, bringing Trump’s share of the vote down to 83%. By comparison, Trump won 92% of the primary vote in 2020 and went on to lose to Biden.

Some of Trump’s weakest performances were in the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia — the critical “collar counties” — where Haley won more than 20% of the vote.

» READ MORE: Ambivalence and protest votes: Pa. primary exposes challenges for Biden, Trump in race for president

It’s been a long time since so few Philadelphia residents turned out for a presidential primary election.

Only 17.7% of registered voters cast a ballot in Tuesday’s election, or just 183,538 of the city’s more than one million eligible voters, according to unofficial results from the City Commissioners.

That’s a little more than half of the percentage — about 32% — who turned out four years ago to pick Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, or to endorse Donald Trump’s ultimately unsuccessful reelection bid atop the Republican ticket.

And it’s even further below the 40% of Philly voters who made it to the polls in 2016 to vote for Trump, Ted Cruz, or another Republican, or to choose between Hillary Clinton and her rival Bernie Sanders.

» READ MORE: “Disappointing” Philly primary turnout could be omen for repeat in November

Pennsylvania’s 2024 primary election is officially in the books.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won their primaries, as anticipated. But “uncommitted” voters made their displeasure over the incumbent’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza known.

And despite not campaigning for president since she ended her bid in early March, Nikki Haley won almost 17% of Pennsylvania’s primary vote.

Tuesday’s primary also cemented the candidates for Pennsylvania’s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) and David McCormick (R) will face one another in November. With Democrats holding a slim Senate majority, a Casey loss could guarantee Republican control of the chamber.

Here’s how Election Day unfolded in the Philly region, in photos.

A form Pennsylvania voters must complete on the outside of mail-in ballot return envelopes has been redesigned, but that did not prevent some voters from failing to complete it accurately for this week’s primary, and some votes will not count as a result, election officials said.

The primary was the first use of the revamped form on the back of return envelopes that was unveiled late last year amid litigation over whether ballots are valid when they arrive to be counted inside envelopes that do not contain accurate, handwritten dates.

The most recent ruling was a 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel’s decision last month that upheld the date mandate. The groups and individuals who sued to challenge the requirement are currently asking the full 3rd Circuit to reconsider the matter.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt said at an election night news conference that his agency will be following the county-by-county vote tabulation to see how many ballots get thrown out as a result. That will help determine whether the new design did more harm than good.

» READ MORE: Pennsylvania redesigned its mail-in ballot envelopes amid litigation. Some voters still tripped up

When Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign, she refused to endorse Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination — and apparently so did some of her supporters in Pennsylvania.

Haley won almost 17% of Pennsylvania’s primary vote Tuesday, or 1 in 6 votes, to Trump’s 83%, despite not campaigning for president since she ended her bid in early March.

Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes up for grabs in the presidential election make it a premier battleground state. So should those Haley GOP voters refuse to support Trump in November, it could prove a damaging blow to his prospects for victory in the state and, possibly, reelection.

Haley’s base was never big enough to seriously challenge Trump before he clinched a third straight Republican presidential nomination.

» READ MORE: Some Nikki Haley voters are hanging on to her candidacy and, like her, refuse to endorse Trump

This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.

Pennsylvania’s highest-ranking state House Republican has survived a formidable primary challenge from the right, heading off what would have been a big shakeup in Harrisburg.

Elsewhere in the state, the Democratic party establishment got its way with the ouster of a northeast Philadelphia representative who has been absent from the Capitol and is, according to his family, dealing with a mental health condition.

Several other state House incumbents also faced tough primaries. As of Wednesday at 10 a.m., one Republican incumbent had lost his seat while two other lawmakers facing serious primary challengers held on. Other races had yet to be called by the Associated Press, including one separated by just a handful of votes.

The most-watched race of the primary was in southern Lancaster County, where Minority Leader Bryan Cutler was defending his seat against business owner and church deacon David Nissley in the conservative, mostly rural 100th District.

» READ MORE: Bryan Cutler survives primary challenge, Kevin Boyle loses Pa. House seat

A ballot question asking voters if the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter should be amended to require the city to help registered community organizations (RCOs) pay the costs of lawsuits was approved by voters Tuesday.

RCOs provide input when a landowner requests an exception from standard zoning rules, called a variance. RCOs have faced lawsuits related to their participation in the variance request process. A statement from the city government on the ballot question says these “can be costly and limit community input.”

For example, in 2013, the Old City Civic Association dissolved after repeated lawsuits led its insurance carrier to drop the group and it couldn’t get new insurance. Another RCO, the Greater Bustleton Civic League, saw premiums increase 12-fold last year.

According to WHYY’s Billy Penn, developers sometimes sue the officers of RCOs who oppose projects or ask for concessions. The suits may or may not have legal merit, and are sometimes described as “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” or SLAPPs, meant to intimidate critics.

Amendments to the Home Rule Charter must be adopted by City Council and then approved by voters. Former Council President Darrell Clarke introduced the amendment in October and Council unanimously approved it in November.

Supporters of the measure say it is welcomed news for RCOs in the city, while detractors say it gives community organizations a “blank check” to fight developers.

Election Day has come and gone. Here’s what happened yesterday in Pennsylvania’s 2024 primary election:

• President: Joe Biden and Donald Trump won their primaries, as anticipated. But “uncommitted” voters made their displeasure with the incumbent known
• U.S. Senate: Bob Casey (D) and David McCormick (R) will officially face each other in Pa.’s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest
• Attorney general: Eugene DePasquale (D) and Dave Sunday (R) won their primaries and will face off in November
• Auditor general: Philly’s Malcolm Kenyatta beat Mark Pinsley in the Democratic primary
• Treasurer: Erin McClelland won the Democratic primary and will face Republican Stacy Garrity this fall
• U.S. House: In Bucks County, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick defeated far-right primary challenger Mark Houck
• Pa. state House: In Philly, incumbent Pa. state Rep. Kevin Boyle lost his primary bid
• Ballot question: Philadelphia voters approved a measure to front the cost of lawsuits for community orgs

See primary election results as votes continue to be tallied.

Incumbent Kevin Boyle lost his primary bid for the Pennsylvania House to Sean Dougherty, who was backed by Boyle’s colleagues.

By the time the race was called for Dougherty at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, he had amassed a 40% margin of victory over Boyle.

Dougherty is the nephew of once-powerful labor leader John Dougherty, who was convicted of fraud and embezzlement late last year.

Boyle, who has served in the Pennsylvania House since 2011, ran for re-election despite his caucus backing Dougherty. The House Democratic Campaign Committee organized a petition-signing event in February and added $72,000 to Dougherty’s campaign account.

Many have expressed concerns about Boyle’s mental health, including his brother, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle.

Boyle entered the primary after a drunken tirade at a Montgomery County bar earlier this year, where he allegedly threatened to hit female employees and vowed to “end” the bar. An arrest warrant was issued for Boyle last week for violating a restraining order, but it was withdrawn on Monday.

In 2021, days before his arrest for violating a protection from abuse order, Democratic leaders in Harrisburg stripped Boyle of his committee chairmanship and limited his access to the Capitol. Then-Gov. Tom Wolf also called for his resignation.

Small business owner Erin McClelland won Tuesday’s primary election to snag the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania treasurer, a surprise victory that sets the stage for a tough matchup this fall with incumbent Republican Stacy Garrity.

The Associated Press called the race for McClelland at 10:11 p.m. Unofficial results show McClelland with 56% of the vote to opponent Ryan Bizzarro’s 44%.

McClelland won Tuesday’s election without the endorsement of the state Democratic Party — it backed Bizzarro, a state representative from Erie. Bizzarro also significantly outraised McClelland, a former substance abuse counselor and project manager for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

» READ MORE: Erin McClelland wins Democratic primary for Pa. treasurer, will face Republican Stacy Garrity this fall

A Democrat with a track record of winning a statewide row office has secured his party’s nomination for Pennsylvania attorney general.

Eugene DePasquale emerged victorious from a crowded field of primary candidates that included Keir Bradford-Grey, Joe Khan, Jared Solomon and Jack Stollsteimer. With no incumbent in the race, the state party didn’t endorse any candidate.

On the Republican ticket, York County District Attorney Dave Sunday defeated state Rep. Craig Williams.

Sunday and DePasquale will go head-to-head during November’s general election to replace Democratic Attorney General Michelle Henry.

READ MORE: Democrat DePasquale, Republican Sunday win Pa. attorney general primaries

Malcolm Kenyatta emerged as the Democratic primary winner in the race to be Pennsylvania’s auditor general — and will face Republican incumbent Timothy DeFoor in November’s general election.

Pennsylvania’s auditor general serves as the state’s “chief fiscal watchdog,” ensuring tax dollars are properly managed and spent.

Kenyatta was elected in 2018, becoming the first openly LGBTQ person to serve in either chamber of the state General Assembly. The Democratic lawmaker’s campaign vows to rebuild the school audit bureau, create the state’s first Bureau of Labor and Worker Protections and increase transparency on how hospital nonprofits and long-term care providers use tax dollars.

» READ MORE: Philly’s Malcolm Kenyatta beats Mark Pinsley in Pa. auditor general primary vote

Dave Sunday, York County’s district attorney, has won the Republican nomination for Pa. attorney general, according to AP.

AP has declared incumbent state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta the winner in the Democratic primary for the 181st state House of Representatives district.

The Philadelphia native is also currently in the lead for the Democratic nomination for auditor general, a race in which he’s facing off state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro. If he ultimately succeeds, he will run against Republican incumbent Timothy DeFoor in November.

In Pennsylvania, candidates can run for a state-wide and a district seat at the same time, meaning Kenyatta did not have to give up his General Assembly seat representing North Philly, which he’s held since 2018 to run for auditor general.

The outspoken progressive was the first openly LGBTQ person of color to hold a seat in the General Assembly and ran for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by John Fetterman.

Incumbent Kevin Boyle is trailing Sean Dougherty in the Democratic primary for the state House seat representing Northeast Philly and parts of Montgomery County.

With 43% of the votes counted, Dougherty — who is backed by the House Democratic Campaign Committee — leads by less than 7%.

Boyle entered the primary under a cloud. In addition to a drunken tirade posted on social media, Boyle had an arrest warrant issued against him. District Attorney Larry Krasner rescinded the warrant on Monday.

Dwight Evans wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District.

The last Republican member of Congress representing Philadelphia suburbs has survived another primary challenger.

On Tuesday night, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick defeated Mark Houck, a far-right anti-abortion activist, in Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District primary race.

Fitzpatrick, a self-described moderate Republican, has represented Bucks County in Congress since 2017. He will face off against Democratic candidate Ashley Ehasz in November’s general election. Ehasz ran unopposed in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

» READ MORE: U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick defeats anti-abortion activist in Republican primary

Donald Trump wins the Republican presidential primary in Pennsylvania.

Democrat Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick win nominations for closely watched U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania.

Polls have closed in Pennsylvania’s 2024 primary election.

Voters weighed in on races for attorney general, auditor general, treasurer and the U.S. House, among others.

Follow along as WHYY News tracks primary election results this evening.

Hope Foy, a millennial living in Southwest Philly, voted for Biden in the Democratic presidential primary — but she “wasn’t too excited” about it.

That’s because he failed to deliver on his promises of student loan forgiveness, she said.

“I’m still paying on a monthly basis,” Foy said outside of a polling place at Longstreth Elementary School. “I’m really looking forward to seeing some real change that’ll affect not only different generations, but my generation, as well.”

Foy, who works in the biotech industry, is also concerned about equitable housing opportunities and food insecurity. She recently tried to buy her first investment property, but housing prices put it out of reach.

“The housing market is trash right now,” she said. “Definitely looking forward to some of those issues changing.”

Jeffrey Cooper is also feeling the crunch. He worked at the polling place at Longstreth and said politicians aren’t doing enough to address everyday issues, like the economy.

“What candidate is really doing something for the people?” Cooper said. “When you’ve got a loaf of bread that costs $5, no one’s really addressing the issue of getting the stress up off of people that are working today.”

Michelle Currica Hernandez, a Southwest Philly resident who works in grant-making, voted “uncommitted” in the Democratic presidential primary — to send Biden a message that she disapproves of his handling of Israel’s war in Gaza.

“This is an election where you’re actually able to make a political and an activist stance, and it’s reported up the chain,” she said. “I don’t think it’s safe to do in November, but I think of any time that we have the ability to make a statement, this is the time to do it.”

Still, Currica Hernandez is worried about the general election in November, when Biden will face Trump. She focused on picking a candidate for the Pennsylvania attorney general race she thinks could fend off a challenge to Pa.’s election results this fall, and worries about turnout.

Other top-of-mind issues for Currica Hernandez include gun violence, Republican rhetoric around immigration, safe public spaces in Southwest Philly and transportation.

“Just feeling a little stressed by voting, knowing the consequences of today’s election and how the ballot will look in November,” she said.

Joe Biden wins the Democratic presidential primary in Pennsylvania.

With less than an hour before polls close, voters in the suburbs of Philadelphia are still thinking a lot about the Pennsylvania attorney general’s race.

And with no official endorsement on the Democratic ticket, voters did a lot of research.

Dominic Polumbo, 25, pulled out a written breakdown of candidates from the League of Women Voters as he stood in front of his polling location at the Abington Art Center. He said he voted for Keir Bradford-Grey.

“I wanted to vote for somebody that was local and somebody that had a more progressive stance on the law — so protecting women’s rights,” Polumbo said.

Tanya O’Neill, 58, opted not to share who she voted for, but she said the choice was easy. She heard the candidates speak at her church.

“I was really looking for someone who came across as authentic and who is willing to really roll up their sleeves and do the work,” O’Neill said. “I feel like there are folks out there who are running for office now for the prestige of the office, whereas, when I was coming of age and first voting I felt like people actually ran for office because they truly, truly believed in being a public servant.”

O’Neill said she votes in every election.

“We have to walk the talk like my father used to say, ‘don’t complain if you’re not going to be part of the solution.’ So at least I get the right to complain,” O’Neill said.

Low turnout in a primary contest or an off-election cycle is expected. However, polling locations in Philadelphia’s suburbs were unusually quiet on Tuesday.

The Abington Art Center tends to be busier than most locations in Montgomery County. But this primary election, it is a different story.

“There’s been a pretty slow turnout. I’ve been here for a lot of the day, and we just haven’t had nearly as many people as usual,” said Joanna Kallan, a Democratic committee person for District 7-2 in Abington. “But we don’t know how many people are voting by mail.”

The polling location, which usually attracts around 300 voters during a regular primary contest, probably won’t reach the 200 mark.

Nevertheless, Kallan said she’s “pretty confident” that energy will be high in November for the general election.

With most nominees for federal offices already decided, there’s not much to be decided today when looking forward to November, says Marc Meredith, professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Meredith told WHYY News that is because of the closed primaries.

“What we really want to know, which we won’t be able to get much of a sense of from tonight, is how are the more independent minded voters or people who are more swing voters who might not show up in primaries — how are they going to vote?” he said.

Polling suggests that voters in Pennsylvania aren’t enthusiastic. So, can turnout in the primaries be used to figure out which candidate’s supporters are more excited about their own candidate?

Meredith doesn’t think so.

“People will look at today and compare it to 2020 but it’s a little bit of an apples to oranges comparison,” he said. “2020 was such a weird primary election, given when it fell and in the middle of the George Floyd protest and all that, so, ultimately, I think there’s not going to be much to be learned from making that comparison.”

Incumbents in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Congressional districts are being primaried but they are not likely to lose today. Therefore, the stories will play out in the coming months.

Instead, Meredith is looking much more closely at the races for state treasurer, state auditor and, especially, attorney general.

Three candidates are running to unseat Stacy Garrity, the incumbent Republican state treasurer, including two Democrats and a member of the Forward Party. Two Democrats are running for auditor general, for which Republican Timothy DeFoor is running for reelection.

Meredith says the AG race is the most interesting as eight candidates run for an open seat.

“Anytime you have a race like that in Pennsylvania where it’s an open seat, it’s going to be a competitive election in the end,” he said.

The Biden-Harris campaign observed Primary Day by opening 10 more field offices, including three in Philadelphia, rapidly building up for the general election.

Several prominent local Democrats assembled at one of the new locations where Rep. Dwight Evans stressed the importance of the expanded presence.

“It’s up to all of us to meet voters where they are — including right here in North Philly — and make sure that we reject Donald Trump and Republicans and elect President Biden and Democrats up and down the ballot,” said U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans.

Campaign field offices typically serve as bases and training centers for door knocking and phone banking.

The new offices bring the total number in the state up to 24. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign doesn’t appear to have any full-time presence in the state and the candidate has only appeared once in the eastern part of the state at a rally that drew several thousand supporters. Biden, on the other hand, has visited several times, including three stops just last week.

Still, the Biden campaign is pushing against polling, which continues to show a dead heat between the two candidates, as well as lower enthusiasm for the incumbent. Some Democrats have expressed concern that may translate into too many voters in reliably blue districts — such as Philadelphia — staying home in November.

State Senator and Chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party Sharif Street pushed the idea that the heightened presence — now with four field offices in the city — will go beyond correcting that.

“Make no mistake — massive turnout in the city of Philadelphia will make the difference in making sure that Joe Biden is reelected president, and while we’re doing that, we will make sure Bob Casey will be reelected to the United States Senate,” Street said.

According to state campaign officials, the campaign tripled its staff in the state, made nearly 20,000 calls and texts to supporters and reached out to another 19,000 voters by knocking on doors this month so far.

Voting in Pennsylvania’s primary election appears to be going smoothly today, according to election integrity monitors, with only a few reports of minor hiccups amid apparently low turnout through mid-afternoon.

Voters have been calling in various typical problems to election protection hotlines. Those include errors in mail ballots, such as incorrect handwritten dates, that they must fix by the close of voting at 8 p.m. if their votes are to count, representatives of Common Cause Pennsylvania and the ACLU of Pennsylvania said this afternoon.

“As with any election day, there are always a few issues that crop up,” said Philip Hensley-Robin, Common Cause PA’s executive director. “We’re fortunate and happy to see that there aren’t any big systemic issues in the reports that we’re getting in from around the state.”

Among the specific reports they’ve received are of the slightly delayed opening of a polling place at Seafarers Union Hall in the 39th Ward in South Philadelphia. It did not open at the official 7 a.m. starting time for voting, but opened shortly thereafter.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Election Task Force also hasn’t seen any significant problems, despite a false alarm earlier in the day, a spokesperson for DA Larry Krasner said.

» READ MORE: Election observers report only minor hiccups in primary election voting

Most polling places in Philadelphia are manned by longtime residents who have worked Election Day for years.

Lincoln High School in Mayfair is not one of them.

Inside the school’s cavernous gymnasium on Tuesday where six divisions cast their ballots, nearly all of the poll workers were teenagers. Some Lincoln students. Others recent grads.

“The kids know what they’re doing here, they get good reviews here. The adults who are here with them always give us very positive feedback. The community gives us positive feedback,” said Sarah Caswell, a special education and science teacher.

Caswell started recruiting students to work the polls during the pandemic, when the ward was down poll workers. She started with eight kids. For Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary, she has 35.

» READ MORE: The kids are alright: At a Philly polling place, teens are running the show

Outside a polling place on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, a small group of people urged students entering the building to write in “Uncommitted,” rather than cast a vote for President Joe Biden in the presidential primary race. They hope to send a message to Biden that they reject U.S. support for Israel during the country’s war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

“For way too long, the Democratic Party has just accepted that they’ll have the Muslim vote,” said Rayane, a student who is a registered independent and could not vote in Tuesday’s primary. Rayane declined to provide a last name for fear of retribution. “I don’t know if we have enough power to put someone into office, but I think it speaks volumes if we have enough power to take someone out.”

Uncommitted PA, a group formed to encourage Democratic Pennsylvania voters not to support Biden in the primary, joins a movement in other states that saw more than 100,000 Democratic primary voters in Michigan cast “Uncommitted” votes.

The Pennsylvania group is calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and for the U.S. to stop sending aid to Israel and reinstate funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA). They hope to organize at least 40,000 “Uncommitted” write-in votes Tuesday. Biden won the swing state by just over 80,000 votes in 2020.

Samah Elhajibrahim, a recent PhD graduate at Penn, voted “Uncommitted” in the Democratic presidential primary Tuesday, as well as in other down-ballot races where Democratic incumbents have not pushed for a ceasefire.

“Genocide is taking place, and we are part of this in the United States,” Elhajibrahim said. “It’s our weapons. It’s our taxes. We can’t just pretend that it’s not on us. We have power. We have agency, and this is the time to do it.”

Elhajibrahim, who is Palestinian, said she has not yet decided whether she’ll support Biden in November’s general election, when he’ll face Republican Donald Trump.

“The fact that that’s our choice, and we call it a democracy, is ridiculous,” she said. “We don’t have real choices. … The only agenda the Democrats are putting forward is, ‘Oh, do you want Trump?’ … It’s a scary fear. That’s all they do, and I’m kind of tired of that. I have to vote my conscience. … If I vote for a Democrat again, it’s pretty much sending them a message that they can keep on doing what they’re doing.”

Rayane plans to vote independent or third party in November’s general election.

“I don’t think it can be worse than actively perpetuating the slaughter of thousands and thousands of people,” she said.

State Rep. Chris Rabb sat near the Uncommitted PA group Tuesday afternoon. He showed up to support young people protesting, he said. He declined to say whether he supported Uncommitted PA’s specific demands.

“These types of nonviolent civil disobedience, direct actions, organizing — this is what’s made our country better,” he said. “I don’t think we should be supporting the state of Israel as long as they’re doing what they’re doing.”

» READ MORE: The Uncommitted: Pa. primary is another litmus test for Biden’s handling of Israel-Hamas war in Gaza

To better understand the landscape for the presidential election with a little more than six months to go, here is our initial Electoral Vote map of the cycle.

It focuses on the states that are expected to be most competitive in the effort by the campaigns to get to 270 electoral votes, a majority of the 538 total available.

State analysis and ad spending

Trump holds slight advantages in most of the swing states right now, according to averages of the polls. Strictly going by the polls, Trump would have a 283-255 lead (if you give Biden Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which are currently statistical ties).

But the toss up states are expected to be close, within just a few points, in either candidate’s direction. Biden currently has a massive war chest and ad-spending advantage. In addition to personnel, ads are the largest expenditure of a presidential campaign.

» READ MORE: The states to watch on the 2024 electoral map

Philadelphia voters at the polls on Tuesday are looking at a primary ballot without a lot of choices at the top of the ticket. Candidates for the presidency and the U.S. Senate are running unopposed in both parties.

Because Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, only voters affiliated with a party are able to vote. Independents cannot weigh in, except on the ballot question.

Nevertheless, voters like Robert Greenstein felt compelled to have their voices heard.

“Gotta vote. Got to let the world know we want to vote,” he said. “It’s so important.”

Down the ballot, the competition heats up.

There are five Democratic candidates vying to be attorney general, and two Republican candidates.

However, some voters saw little difference among their choices.

“It was hard,” said Nancy Barton, who voted in Old City with her husband. “A bunch of them seemed very good. It was hard looking at all the different choices because a lot of them were in line with what we believe in.”

For Cindy Hoffman, also in Old City, the AG race was essentially a coin toss.

“That was the one that I had the absolute hardest choice with,” she said. “I had literally narrowed it down to two, and of the two I would be happy with either candidate.”

In addition to the attorney general, auditor general and treasurer contests, voters in the Keystone State will also decide on a handful of federal races. All 435 House seats across the country are up for election. In many of these primary bids, incumbent candidates are running uncontested races.

But in Bucks County, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is looking to fend off a challenger from his right. The self-described moderate Republican has served Pennsylvania’s 1st congressional district since 2017. Right-wing Republican Mark Houck, a vocal anti-abortion activist, is not the first candidate to primary Fitzpatrick, but he hopes to be the first to win.

The victor of the Republican primary will face Democratic challenger Ashley Ehasz. Fitzpatrick defeated her in the 2022 general election by nine percentage points. As the last Republican House member in Philadelphia’s suburbs, Fitzpatrick’s political viability is wearing thin in a county that has turned more blue than purple over the last decade.

Republican incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick

First elected in 2016, Fitzpatrick has built a reputation as the quintessential moderate Republican. He grew up in Levittown and received an undergraduate degree from La Salle University. He later earned an MBA and a law degree from Penn State University.

After graduating, he spent time as a judicial clerk in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Before his tenure in Congress, Fitzpatrick was most known for his nearly 15-year stint at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he served as an FBI supervisory special agent. He led the FBI’s Public Corruption Unit and was the national director of the bureau’s Campaign Finance and Election Crimes Enforcement Program. Fitzpatrick also worked as a special assistant to the U.S. attorney.

» READ MORE: Race to watch: In Bucks County, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick faces right-wing primary challenger Mark Houck

Three state executive offices are up for election in 2024 — attorney general, auditor general and treasurer. In the race for auditor general, three candidates will be on the ballot during Pennsylvania’s upcoming primary election on April 23.

Republican Auditor General Timothy DeFoor, who is wrapping up his first term, is running for re-election. Without a Republican challenger, the incumbent is on the fast track to be on the November ballot. However, the Democratic primary is not a one-candidate race. Democratic voters in Pennsylvania will have two choices: state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley.

Since 1809, Pennsylvania’s auditor general has served as the “chief fiscal watchdog” of the Çommonwealth — ensuring state tax dollars are properly managed and spent. From performing audits to attestation engagements, the auditor general is central to holding the government accountable for taxpayer dollars.

In recent years, the office has gained a knack for capturing headlines.

In 2017, former Democratic Auditor General Eugene DePasquale found that Pennsylvania’s fuel tax meant for bridge repair got diverted to state police instead. In 2023, DeFoor accused a handful of Philadelphia-area school districts of a taxation “shell game”.

» READ MORE: Race to watch: Contested primary for Pa. auditor general

The Pennsylvania Treasury Department is the steward of more than $150 billion in state assets. Responsible for overseeing the purse and administering programs designed to give Pennsylvanians a financial boost, the treasurer, in some form, has been a fixture in state government as early as 1704.

Enshrined in the state’s original constitution, the treasurer began as an appointed official role before it evolved into an elected office in 1872. Today, the state Treasury Department employs more than 300 people.

A handful of row offices are up for election in 2024 — attorney general, auditor general and treasurer. In the race for treasurer, three candidates will be on the ballot for Pennsylvania’s primary election.

Incumbent Republican Treasurer Stacy Garrity was first elected in 2020 and sworn into office in 2021. Garrity broke a lengthy streak of Democratic dominance over the state Treasury Department. She will look to defend her seat without a primary challenger from her own party. Meanwhile, Democrats are fielding two candidates to seize back control of the office: state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro of Erie County and substance abuse counselor Erin McClelland.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face off against Garrity — and a potential Forward Party candidate Chris Foster, if he can make it on the ballot in November.

» READ MORE: Race to watch: Contested primary race for Pa. treasurer

Several row offices are up for election in 2024 — attorney general, auditor general and treasurer. In the race for attorney general, seven candidates are on the ballot for Pennsylvania’s primary election. Incumbent Democratic Michelle Henry is not running to retain the office, but five Democrats and two Republicans are in the fray to be Pennsylvania’s next attorney general. Forward Party candidate Eric Settle has also entered the race, however, there is no guarantee he ends up on the ballot in November.

The victors of each primary will face each other in the general election.

History of the office

The attorney general is the highest-ranking law enforcement official in Pennsylvania. While the position existed as early as 1643 in the colony of New Sweden, it later became enshrined in the state constitution in 1776. Prior to 1980, the office was an appointed position.

Tasked with prosecuting organized crime and public corruption, the attorney general represents the Commonwealth in legal battles and leads statewide and multi-county investigating grand juries, among a laundry list of other duties. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General employs hundreds of attorneys, investigators and other staff.

Democratic Attorney General Michelle Henry currently holds the office. Gov. Josh Shapiro tapped Henry to finish out his second term after he became governor in 2022.

» READ MORE: Race to watch: Pa.’s crowded primary election for attorney general

Mt. Airy and Germantown are typically hotspots for voter turnout. But so far, polling places aren’t seeing the volume they’ve come to expect.

“I’ve never seen it this slow,” said judge of elections Michael Bryant inside Summit Presbyterian Church. “This is terrible.”

A couple hours after polls opened, less than a dozen voters had cast ballots in Bryant’s division. The first voter didn’t show until after 8 a.m., he said.

Turnout in Anthony Dunston’s division was slightly better, but the voting booths inside Lovett Library were nearly empty.

And Dunston doesn’t expect things to pick up. “We probably won’t get more than 10-15% of voters coming out today,” he said.

Those who did come out to vote were driven by the top of the ticket — the presidential primary.

Rachel Popik votes in every election, but President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war provided some extra motivation.

As part of a larger political effort, Popik voted “uncommitted” instead of backing Biden.

“Just to make a point to show that we’re unsatisfied with him and his actions right now,” said Popik outside the library.

Germantown resident Charlene Smith traveled to Mastery Charter School’s Pickett Campus specifically to vote for Biden. She also wanted to send a message, but not about Israel.

“I’m sick of the ways things are going on in this world, especially when they say women don’t have the right to whatever they wanna do with their bodies,” said Smith.

“I don’t want Trump to get in,” she added.

Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primaries will cement the lineup for a high-stakes U.S. Senate race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick, a contest that is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and could help decide control of the Senate next year.

Casey, seeking his fourth term, is perhaps Pennsylvania’s best-known politician and a stalwart of the presidential swing state’s Democratic Party — the son of a former two-term governor and Pennsylvania’s longest-ever serving Democrat in the Senate.

McCormick is a two-time Senate challenger, a former hedge fund CEO and Pennsylvania native who spent $14 million of his own money only to lose narrowly to celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022’s seven-way GOP primary. Oz then lost to Democratic Sen. John Fetterman in a pivotal Senate contest.

This time around, McCormick has consolidated the party around his candidacy and is backed by a super PAC that’s already reported raising more than $20 million, much of it from securities-trading billionaires.

» READ MORE: Pa.’s primary election will cement Casey, McCormick as nominees in battleground U.S. Senate race

This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.

Election experts in Pennsylvania expect largely smooth sailing at the polls this week, anticipating the unofficial results for most races on the April 23 ballot will be available on election night.

Pennsylvania has been holding elections using no-excuse mail voting since 2019, and the state has steadily moved from persistent delays in reporting results to relatively quick turnarounds. This has been accomplished mostly thanks to workers’ increasing familiarity with the mail process, and state grants allowing counties to upgrade their equipment.

“I would expect almost all counties to be able to report an overwhelming number of those ballots on election night,” said Jeff Greenburg, a former Mercer County election director who now works for the good-government group Committee of Seventy. He added that “there could be a few that stretch into Wednesday.”

» READ MORE: When can Pa. voters can expect primary election results?

More than 895,000 mail ballots were requested for the 2024 primary election in Pennsylvania. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 71% of ballots had been returned.

Still holding onto yours? There are several ways to turn it in. Here’s what to know:

Mail ballot drop-off locations for Bucks, Chesco, Delco, Montco, and Philly can be found online.

If you have a mail ballot but prefer to vote in person, bring your ballot (and the envelopes it came with) and surrender it to a poll worker. Once you’ve surrendered your mail ballot and signed a declaration, you can cast a regular ballot.

If you requested a mail ballot but didn’t receive one, head to your polling place and ask for a provisional ballot. After Election Day, officials will verify you didn’t already vote by mail and count your ballot.

Mail ballots must be delivered to a drop box or county election officials by the time the polls close at 8 p.m. Mail ballots postmarked by the deadline, but not yet received, do not count.

» READ MORE: What you need to know about filling out and returning your Pa. mail ballot (leer en español)

This dispatch originally appeared on WHYY’s Billy Penn.

Did you cast a mail or absentee ballot for the April 23 primary election? Check the lists of names below to make sure there isn’t a problem with the ballot you sent in. If there is, you have a chance to fix it and make sure your vote counts.

The Board of Elections, aka the City Commissioners, released two lists over the weekend. One is of 231 Philly mail voters whose identification it hasn’t been able to verify. The other is of 1,755 voters whose ballots had certain errors, such as no signature on the exterior envelope.

There’s still time to fix the problems, but it’s important to act quickly, especially for voters in the second list with ballot errors. They have to remedy the mistakes before voting ends on Tuesday at 8 p.m., while those on the first list have until next Monday.

» READ MORE: Check if your Philly mail ballot is one of hundreds that needs fixing to be counted

Voters across Pennsylvania are heading to the polls today to cast ballots in the 2024 primary election. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Reporters from WHYY News and Billy Penn are following each of the major campaigns — including the crowded race for attorney general.

As Election Day unfolds, follow WHYY News’ live special coverage on WHYY.org, the WHYY App, and WHYY-FM.

Your voter game plan

• Have questions about the election? Our 2024 voter hub has the answers
• Looking for voter info? Here’s WHYY News’ Pa. voter guide
• Want to learn more about the candidates? Here are some candidate breakdowns
  • Attorney general: English | Español
  • Auditor general: English | Español
  • Treasurer: English | Español
• Curious about Philly ballot question? Here’s a breakdown of what to expect.
• Voting by mail in Pa.? Here’s everything you need to know about filling it out and returning it: English | Español
• Eager for results? Follow along with WHYY as votes are tallied this evening