Lehigh Valley voters headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes on everything from school boards to county executive to the future of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Polls opened at 7 a.m. across the state and remained open until 8 p.m. Mail ballots had to be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. to be counted.

Polling sites at Dieruff High School, the Lehigh County Government Center, and Muhlenberg College saw sporadic voter turnout Tuesday morning.

Theressa Whiting, a Democratic voter in the Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem, dropped off her mail-in ballot at the Lehigh County Government Center in downtown Allentown with her two children—2-year-old James and 1-month-old Josie—at her side.

“I felt it was important to make my voice heard, but I feel like it’s especially important because the decisions I make now are going to affect them in their adulthood, and even affect their childhood because it affects the funding for school districts,” Whiting said, adding that she wants to give other children a chance to succeed as well.

She said homelessness was a big issue for her as a voter, especially with people being forced from encampments in Allentown and Bethlehem with nowhere else to go. Whiting supports efforts to help, such as warming stations.

Whiting, who gave the Trump administration and Republican leadership in Congress a “big thumbs down,” added that voting for Democratic judges was also important.

“We can look at our [U.S.] Supreme Court judges and we’ve seen what that did, by not having people who actually cared about precedent,” she said. “And that affects everybody because they’re the ones who are interpreting the law. And so if we have someone that’s interpreting the law in a super conservative way, then everything’s going to be affected that way. I don’t necessarily want it to be interpreted one way or the other. I just want it to be interpreted fairly, and not trying to push one ideal.”

Democrat Marianne Williams of Allentown took her 2-year-old Labrador mix, Zoey, with her to vote at Dieruff High School. Williams said her vote was motivated by a desire to see safer streets, especially regarding vehicles not stopping at red lights and stop signs, as well as concerns about increasing taxes.

She added that she was happy to vote for Republican Robert E. Smith Jr., whom she considers a friend and who is running for the Allentown School Board.

“I think he’s very honest and he’ll get things done,” Williams said.

Dozens of offices were on the ballot across the Lehigh Valley. At the top of voters’ ballots were races for Lehigh and Northampton county executive—the elected officials who oversee the administrative duties of both counties.

In Lehigh County, voters chose between former Allentown police Chief and City Council member Roger MacLean, a Republican, and Democratic state Rep. Josh Siegel. This race centered around national politics as well as the county’s fiscal status.

In the Northampton County executive race, Democrat Tara Zrinski, the elected county controller, faced Republican County Council member Thomas Giovanni.

Perhaps the most crowded races were among candidates for Lehigh Valley school boards, including East Penn (seven candidates for four seats); Parkland (six candidates for four seats); Southern Lehigh (seven candidates for four seats); and Allentown (seven candidates for four seats).

In Allentown, Mayor Matt Tuerk faced City Council member Ed Zucal in a repeat of the May primary, in which Zucal earned enough write-in votes to appear on the November ballot as a Republican.

Some voters also had referendums on their ballots. In South Whitehall and Williams Townships, voters had to decide if they wanted to increase their tax bills to allocate money to preserve open space in their communities.

Hanover Township, Lehigh County, voters were asked to weigh in on two changes to the township’s home rule charter. And in tiny Chapman, voters were asked if the number of Borough Council members should be reduced from seven to five.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
https://www.mcall.com/2025/11/04/election-day-lehigh-valley-polling-places-allentown/