Palmer-Forks Patch Election Results 2012

LIVE 2012 ELECTION RESULTS

*Results are unofficial

*All four Forks Township precincts reporting.

*Four of eight Palmer Township precincts reporting.

*Eighty-five percent of precincts reporting in Emrick-Capozzolo 137th race.

##For full voting tallies, visit Northampton County's website.

Obama-Biden

Bob Casey

U.S. Congress,

17th District

Matt Cartwright

Join us in our Live Blog from the polls.

The polls were packed Tuesday.

Throughout precincts in Palmer and Forks townships, voters showed up in full force for Election Day, showing the importance of having their say in this presidential election.

After two hours when the polls opened at 7 a.m., over 500 people had voted at the Forks Community Center in Forks Township.

Lines were long throughout the day and evening at Faith Lutheran Church in Forks Township and Tracy Elementary School in Palmer Township with waits close to two hours.

Some Palmer residents complained to the county Board of Elections about the length of the lines all day long at Tracy.

"It's been busy. We've had a steady stream of people," said Jeremy Hylton, judge of elections at the Forks Community Center.

The main issues, poll workers said, were people trying to figure out which polling place their address was located in and some registration problems regarding people moving or not being on the election rolls.

Poll workers were asking people for photo identification even though it's not required this year.

Renee Desai has lived in Forks Township for a decade. But she wasn't listed as registered and had to wait on the sidelines until a call was made to the Northampton County elections office to straighten everything out.

"I don't know what the problem is," she said. "I've voted every time before."

Faith Lutheran Church on Sullivan Trail was a mob scene.

"I've waited an hour-and-a-half," said Ulla Reid. "The township got it wrong. They're doing a fine job, but there's too many new developments and they should have split this."

Henry Sandt, the judge of elections at the church, agreed.

He said the voting district needed to be restructured since the church had 3,000 voters in its precinct while others only had 800.

"I already have complained to the county election board, but they haven't done anything," Sandt said.

Sandt said the church was averaging about 115-120 voters an hour and the line was wrapped around the church outside with a parking lot offering few open spots.

"I don't see any relief," he said. "I expect it to be that way all night. That's how it is with presidential elections."

In Palmer Township, several of the township's seven polling places were operating smoothly during the afternoon.

The Palmer Elementary School on Green Pond Road was relatively empty.

A few people mulled around outside with one telling a voter who was returning after finding a crowd in the morning that there was no wait.

People voted in the school's library, which had a sign posted that said "Quiet Zone."

Meanwhile, at St. Paul's Third Lutheran Church in Palmer, the line had shrunk significantly compared with earlier in the day.

Nellisa Weidner, a Palmer resident handing about brochures about State Rep. Joe Emrick, said she had witnessed a steady stream of voters since she arrived right after lunchtime.

"This is the shortest I've seen the line," said Weidner, who hadn't voted herself yet. 

A sign inside, as voters approached before casting their votes, stated "ID Ready?"

Emrick, running for re-election, arrived at the Forks Community Center just before 7 a.m. as a frost covered the grass and car windshields.

Emrick was the only political representative greeting voters and that surprised him.

"It's packed," the Republican said. "Turnout has been incredible. It's the prework rush. You couldn't even find a parking spot."

"This is a big day," Emrick said. "At least the weather is beautiful. I'll take the cold. I feel good. We worked hard."

Sharon Davis, a Democratic Party committeewoman in Forks, said she was pleased by the turnout in Forks.

"Both sides tried to mobilize voters," Davis said. "It's a typical presidential year. It's nice to see people exercising their right to vote."

Forks Township Supervisors Chairman Erik Chuss said the polls "have been very busy."

"The lines at the Forks Community Center were routed into the gymnasiums.  The Faith Lutheran Church went outside and wrapped around the building," Chuss said. "There has been a few minor areas of confusion regarding residents' voting districts but they have been minimal and everyone has been very understanding. The parking lots at all the locations, including the Forks Elementary School, have been full."

Forks resident Brian Maffia voted at Forks Community Center and said he saw police handing out tickets for parking on the grass. He said there is no other parking and 95 percent of the voters are senior citizens.

"It's such a disgrace to see this," he said.

Jim English, a Forks resident, said the country needed to make a change at the top.

"I voted for Mitt Romney," English said. "He has a plan. The other guy doesn't. I voted for Romney because of the economy. With my job, I'm losing pay and benefits. Meanwhile, everything else is going up."

Check back here all day for live election updates.

Polls have shown the presidential race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney tightening in the days before the Tuesday election.

If past presidential elections are any indication, Palmer and Forks townships may forecast the outcome.

In the 2004 and 2008 elections, Palmer and Forks townships voted for presidential winners.

In 2004, both townships selected President George W. Bush over challenger John Kerry. The Palmer vote was Bush over Kerry, 4,779 to 4,525. The Forks vote was Bush over Kerry, 3,285 to 2,629.

In 2008, the townships – like their neighbor Easton – supported then-Sen. Barack Obama, albeit by smaller margins than in the city.

Palmer picked Obama over challenger Sen. John McCain, 5,444 to 4,604. Forks took Obama, 3,736 to 3,277.

In Easton, Obama got almost three times as many votes as McCain, 6,922 to 2,422. In 2004, Easton picked Kerry over Bush, 5,285 to 3,069.

For a look at all the candidates in all the races, check out our Palmer-Forks Patch Election Guide.

Stay with Patch all day as we update this article with news and information from the polls and live election results after 9 p.m.

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