Upper Mac Primary Voters Weigh Today's Options

Today, May 17, is Primary Election Day – the day to make your choice for local officials such as school board members who decide how your hard-earned tax dollars will be spent.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In Pennsylvania, primary elections are “closed,” meaning you must be registered as a Republican to vote for Republican candidates, or as a Democrat to vote for Democratic candidates. Voters registered as Independent can only vote on ballot questions in this election.

Upper Macungie Township residents heading to the polls for Republican and Democratic primaries today will face choices for Magisterial District Judge in District 31-3-02 and an uncontested race for an open township supervisor seat.

Three candidates -- , and -- all seek the seat begin vacated by current District Judge Charles Crawford.

District 31-3-02 serves the communities of Alburtis Township, Upper Macungie Township, Lower Macungie Township, Lowhill Township and Weisenberg Township.

The trio have all cross-filed in both Democratic and Republican primaries, meaning that the race could be decided this evening if one candidiate sweeps both tickets.

That won't be the case in the Upper Macungie Township supervisor race where incumbent is running in the Republican primary. Challenger is the lone Democrat on the primary ticket. 

The pair will automatically move on to November's general election.

Five seats for the are on the ballot with the majority of the entrants cross-filed.

In the contentious Republican primary for Lehigh County Commissioner, eight candidates are seeking four seats. 

The Republican candidates are , currently a South Whitehall Township commissioner; , an incumbent Lehigh County commissioner who resides in the township; , a Salisbury Township Commissioner; and , an independent insurance agent who works in South Whitehall; and four candidates who are running as a slate, namely , a producer for a web-based television network who resides in the township; , former Northampton County fiscal affairs director; , a business executive; and , a Lynn Township supervisor. 

Patch asked the Lehigh County Commissioner candidates questions on the , and .

The four Democrats seeking their party's nod for the four Lehigh County commissioner positions are Geoffrey S. Brace, Dennis L. Pearson, Gloria Hamm, and Timothy S. Waitkus. They are virtually assured their party's nomination since there is no competition for their party's nod in the primary.

Here is the link to the entire Lehigh County primary.

Here are Upper Macungie Township's polling locations. 

-- Upper Macungie 1st District: Trinity Wesleyan Church, 6735 Cetronia Rd, Allentown.

-- Upper Macungie 2nd District: Atas International, Inc., 6612 Snowdrift Rd, Allentown.

-- Upper Macungie 3rd District: Fogelsville Fire Co. (Rear), 7850 Lime St., Fogelsville.

-- Upper Macungie 4th District: St Paul's Lutheran Church, 8227 Hamilton Blvd, Breinigsville. (Changed from the Velodrome.)

-- Upper Macungie 5th District: Wellspring Community, 5042 Schantz Rd, Allentown.

If you encounter any problems at the polls (such as voting machines that malfunction), let us know at thomas.demartini@patch.com so we can check into it.

Patch will report local election results as soon as they become available. Check back tonight for updates after the polls close.