County Politicos Hope to Boost Voter Turnout

With only a few days left before Election Day, Democrats and Republicans have been reminding the community of the importance of voting, but the numbers show that the same percentage of people will show up at the polls despite their efforts.

The Bucks County Republican Committee is holding numerous door-knocking activities throughout the county and some get-togethers at headquarters in the final week before Election Day, according to Pat Poprik, vice chair of Bucks County Republicans.

Additionally, the committee held a press conference on Thursday, Nov. 3, at the Bucks County Republican Committee Headquarters.

"With this year’s Election Day one week away, we are laser-focused on the next Tuesday’s critical elections and are tirelessly working to execute our plans to ensure victory," stated a press release from the committee.

The Democratic Party has also been doing its part to get the community to vote.

On Saturday, Oct. 22, The Pennsylvania Democratic Party held a Day of Action. More than 1,000 volunteers scattered across the state at about 50 events to get out the vote.

"Democrats showed how energized we are and how hard we're going to work for November 8th," said Jim Burn, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. "Democrats across Pennsylvania are working hard to elect candidates who will stand up for the middle class and their communities by reaching out to their neighbors and discussing the importance of the 2011 elections."

The Montgomery County Democratic Committee participated in the Day of Action. Volunteers across the county canvassed and phonebanked for the Democratic ticket.

Despite the efforts of both political parties, and the amount of political fervor and energy at the national level, voter turnout will probably be about the same at the local level.

Poprik said that based on the numbers, she expects the turnout to be the same as in recent years, but that the political energy in Washington might help get a few extra voters to the polls.

"I think it energizes people. I think voters who are so angry with what's going on in Washington, they are coming out because they want to send messages," she said.

Bucks County Board of Elections Director Deena Dean echoed Poprik's expectations for voter turnout. She said she expects voter turnout this year, based on percentages in previous 4-year election cycles, to be about the same.

In the 2010 general election, 434,183 Bucks County residents were registered to vote. But out of the registered voters, only 231,993 people, or 53 percent of registered voters actually voted, according to numbers provided by Dean.

In Montgomery County, the voting percentage was similar. During the 2010 general election, 583,198 people were registered to vote, but only 291,785 showed up to cast a vote on Election Day. That's slightly more than a 50 percent turnout.

This year, 532,784 MontCo residents are registered to vote in Tuesday's election, according to the voter services department for Montgomery County, and 420,867 are registered in Bucks, according to the Board of Elections for the county.