BETHLEHEM, Pa. — In 2021, with some still leery about heading to the polls due to the COVID-19 virus, more than 33,578 Lehigh Valley residents cast their vote with a mail-in ballot.
That was about a third of all people who participated in the low-turnout primary.
Life has returned to something approaching normalcy in the four years since, but more locals are poised to elect their party's nominees by a mail-in ballot onTuesday.
Lehigh County officials reported they have sent out 23,499 ballots to voters ahead of Tuesday's election. Officials in Northampton County have mailed out another 24,635 of their own, officials said.
And while many of those ballots inevitably won't be counted due to not being returned on time or voter error, it's still likely mail-in ballots will be more numerous this year than the pandemic-plagued local election.
Part of that appears to be due to Republicans getting more comfortable with mail-in ballots.
During the 2020 election cycle, President Donald Trump falsely alleged the mail-in ballots were prone to widespread fraud. As a result, Republicans distanced themselves from the voting method until 2024, when Trump reversed course. His campaign rally at the PPL Center in Allentown last fall featured messages on the arena's screens encouraging people to vote by mail.
Republican numbers tick up
Democrats are still the overwhelming majority of people voting by mail this year, but their Republican neighbors are making inroads.
This year, Republicans make up 29% of mail-in ballot requests in the region. Four years ago, they made up 21% of partisan ballot requests.
The rise of mail-in ballots has also contributed to more citizens participating in the low-turnout municipal primaries.
"I'm cautiously optimistic we'll see — by off-year primary standards — a decent turnout level."Chris Borick, Muhlenberg College political science professor
In 2017, just 14.5% of eligible voters turned out for the Northampton County primary. It jumped up to 20.5% in 2021. Similar jumps occurred in Lehigh County, which saw voter participation climb from 15.3% to 23.1%.
Chris Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College, said mail-in ballots are partially to credit for the boost in people participating in the democratic process. He said he wouldn't be shocked if turnout improves a few ticks this year now that mail-in ballots aren't as novel or alien to voters.
"I'm cautiously optimistic we'll see — by off-year primary standards — a decent turnout level," he said.
In order to be counted, mail-in ballots must either have reached the appropriate county elections office or be turned in at a drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt advised Friday that voters who have not yet mailed their ballots to either drop them off at their county office in person or to use a drop box since the election is just days away.
Mail-in ballot requests:
Lehigh County
Democratic — 16,467
Republican — 7,032
Northampton County
Democratic — 17,708
Republican — 6,927
Pennsylvania
Democratic — 564,658
Republican — 225,665
Other* — 7,760
*Independents can vote in primaries when there are referendum questions on the ballot. There are no such questions for voters in the Lehigh Valley this year.
