The director of the Schuylkill County Election Bureau wasn't completely surprised by the turnout in Tuesday's re-vote for Hazleton Area school board candidates.
"It was a lot less than the number who turned out for the (May) primary election," Frannie Brennan said from the bureau's Pottsville office Wednesday.
Numbers were lower in Carbon County, too, said Lisa Dart, director of the Carbon County Election Bureau.
In all, 1,182 fewer people came out Tuesday than in May, according to preliminary reports from both bureaus.
Of the 1,943 residents who were eligible to vote in the special election, about 39 percent - or 761 residents - actually cast ballots.
The re-vote was held after Steve Hahn's name appeared on Schuylkill and Carbon ballots in May, even though he withdrew his candidacy. Hahn received 553 votes from those county voters in the May 21 election and a judge ordered a do-over without Hahn's name on the ballot. To be eligible to vote in this week's election, however, individuals had to have voted in May.
Brennan said 539 voters came out Tuesday for the special election, compared to the 1,382 people who cast ballots in May.
Dart said 561 people were eligible to vote in Carbon County.
"There were 222 cards cast," she said.
Candidate Jared O'Donnell was troubled by the re-vote.
"To correct the wrong on May 21, they basically instituted another wrong, and that was this election," O'Donnell said.
The approximate 1,200 votes cast in May, he said, were essentially lost. He said many folks he talked to forgot about the election. Others were on vacation or neglected to apply for an absentee ballot in time.
"So many people were disenfranchised," O'Donnell said. "If there was something I could do to correct this, I would."
But O'Donnell said he doesn't believe there is any legal recourse. Instead, O'Donnell said he will stay on the campaign trail throughout the summer and fall in preparation for the General Election in November.
Absentee ballots were also low in both counties. Of the 14 absentee ballots mailed from Schuylkill County, Brennan said 10 were returned. Dart said there was one absentee ballot in Carbon County.
Brennan said official tallies will be computed beginning Friday morning. Dart said it will be about 10 days until results are official. It appears the top Democrat vote-getters are James Chapman, Robert Mehalick, Clarence John and Carmella Yenkevich; and top Republicans are Mehalick, O'Donnell, Chapman and John.
Both election bureaus reported no problems Tuesday.
"We did what we had to do," Brennan said. "We were able to get the poll workers together, and thankfully they were so cooperative and were able to come out on a summer day. We just went around and observed. It really was a joint effort."
Because the flaw in the election originated in the Luzerne County Election Bureau, Luzerne County will cover the special elections' costs.
As for the cost to Schuylkill County, Brennan said she will start compiling payroll Monday. Dart also didn't yet have a firm estimate of the costs.
Pay for poll workers and postage to mail letters to eligible voters in Carbon and Schuylkill will cost at least $5,948.78. Additional expenses include mileage for election workers and printing costs for absentee ballots and other forms.
Schuylkill County opened two polls in McAdoo and one each in East Union, North Union and Kline townships. The wages of the judges of elections, clerks, constables and minority inspectors who work in the polls will tally at least $3,200.
In Carbon County, polls were open in Beaver Meadows and Banks Township. The judges of elections in each of the two polls will earn $195 each, and the nine other poll workers will bring the salary total to at least $1,260.