BETHLEHEM, Ps. - Voter registration and mail-in ballot applications have closed for next week's primary election in Pennsylvania. And voter rolls across the state and in Lehigh and Northampton counties again show more Democrats than Republicans using the absentee or mail-in voting option.
More than 8.7 million Pennsylvanians are registered to vote, and more than 900,000 of them have applied for vote-by-mail or absentee ballots, according to the Department of State. An overwhelming majority of the absentee or mail-in applicants -- nearly 700,000 -- are registered as Democrats.
State figures show almost half of all mail-in ballots have been returned already.
Locally, Northampton and Lehigh County officials report roughly half of mail-ins have been received by elections offices -- about 25,000 total as of Thursday.
The Lehigh Valley has nearly 500,000 registered voters, the majority Democrats.
According to Northampton County, it has 220,685 registered voters. They include 97,710 Democrats and 80,198 Republicans.
Lehigh County voter rolls show 241,466 people registered, with 113,957 Democrats and 83,305 Republicans.
Northampton County officials say 25,510 people have requested absentee or mail-in ballots. Of those, 19,775 are registered Democrats and 5,708 are Republicans. By Wednesday, 13,813 ballots had been returned.
That breakdown is very similar in Lehigh County. According to the Lehigh County Voter Registration Office, 25,179 people have requested absentee or mail-in ballots. Democrats account for 19,322 requests and Republicans 5,857. As of Thursday, 12,450 completed ballots had been returned.
The primary election is Tuesday, May 17. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mail-in ballots must be received by 8 p.m.
