Local voters turn out in volume, buck state trend
Despite the absence of truly local races on Tuesday's

From left, Austin election officials Doris Fowler and Vicki Brewer confer with Sandy Lewis, Potter County's director of elections.

general election ballot,

voters in both Potter and Cameron counties turned out in higher numbers than in most other sections of Pennsylvania.

Although many of them stuck to the party line -- almost half the votes cast were via straight party ticket -- there was evidence of deep concern for the future of the state and the nation, according to veteran political observers.

Poll workers report that many of Tuesday's voters cast their ballots with conviction, as reflected in opinions they expressed as they signed in to perform their civic duty. The war in Iraq, health care and Social Security were among the hot topics.

Machines well-received

Officials in both counties also said that voters, after some initial reservations, were overwhelmingly pleased with the ease with which they could operate the electronic voting machines that have replaced paper ballots in all but a handful of Pennsylvania precincts.

Republican majorities in both counties delivered the anticipated support for their candidates in the races for governor and U.S. senator, bucking a statewide trend that saw Gov. Ed Rendell (D) re-elected

and Sen. Rick Santorum (R)

ousted.

Rendell beat Republican Lynn Swann by a margin of about 60% to 40%. In Cameron County, Swann won, 959-762; Potter County went for Swann, 3,476 to 2,010.

Santorum was defeated by Democrat Bob Casey Jr., 59% to 41%. Cameron County voters went for Santorum by a slender 881- 820 margin. In Potter County, the numbers mirrored the gubernatorial race, with Santorum topping Casey, 3,476 to 2,012.

Another Republican politician, Congressman John Peterson, fared much better. He defeated the relatively unknown Democratic nominee, Donald Hilliard, by substantial margin throughout the 5th District. Peterson's margins were 1,024 to 670 in Cameron and 3,223 to 1,591 in Potter.

Local voters also followed the statewide trend in supporting benefits for veterans of the first Persian Gulf War. The margin for "yes" votes was 835-558 in Cameron and 2,881 to 2,131 in Potter.