LEWISTOWN — Mifflin and Juniata counties are bracing as election officials expect unprecedented voter turnout in Tuesday’s general election, with early voting numbers already breaking records in both counties.

Mifflin County Elections Director Paula Hoffman reports distributing 5,514 absentee ballots while processing 765 early ballots in person – a dramatic increase from 158 early votes in 2020.

“We had over 4,000 mail-in ballots last year, so we set a record for this year as well as for in-person early voting,” » said Hoffman. His office projects an 80% turnout on November 5, double the usual 40% rate seen in years without presidential elections.

In neighboring Juniata County, Elections Director Eva Wayrich expects turnout to be at least 70%, compared to the usual 40% for off-year elections.

The presidential race tops polls in both counties, featuring Democratic incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz facing Republican challengers Donald Trump and JD Vance. Libertarian candidates Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat and Green Party candidates Jill Stein and Rudolph Ware round out the presidential picks.

The two counties share competitive races for U.S. Senate between Democratic incumbent Robert P. Casey Jr. and Republican Dave McCormick, Libertarian John C. Thomas, Green Party candidate Leila Hazou and Constitutional Party candidate Marty Selker also being in the running for the seat.

The attorney general contest presents six options to voters: Democrat Eugene DePasquale, Republican Dave Sunday, Libertarian Robert Cowburn, Green Party candidate Richard L. Weiss, Constitutional Party candidate Justin L. Magill and Constitutional Party candidate Forward Eric L. Settle.

Local issues are appearing on Juniata County ballots through two referendum questions. Mifflintown Borough residents will decide whether they want to reduce their borough council from seven to five members. Walker Township voters face a referendum on liquor licenses.

To manage increased turnout, election offices in both counties implemented additional measures. Juniata County will deploy two ballot tabulators to Fayette and Fermanagh townships, their largest precincts, along with additional poll workers. Mifflin County has added staff at polling places and will begin processing absentee ballots at 7:30 a.m. on Election Day, with live streaming available to the public.

Hoffman addressed technical issues with ballot notifications, urging voters to clearly write their email address on their application. “If you put your email address in, we can’t tell if it’s an L or a 1… make sure when you do this in the future you put your email in so that we can read it”, she explained.

Both directors highlighted election day deadlines. Mail-in ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. on November 5. Hoffman recommends using county drop boxes or hand-delivering ballots rather than relying on the postal service. Military voters benefit from an extension until November 12.

Wayrich focuses on maintaining order at polling places. “My biggest concern…is that there is no controversy or no one causing problems for my poll workers” she said.

Down-ballot races include contests for auditor general between Democrat Malcolm Kenyatta, Republican Tim DeFoor, Libertarian Reece Smith, American Solidarity Party candidate Eric K. Anton, and American Solidarity Party candidate Constitution Bob Goodrich.

The race for state treasurer includes Democrat Erin McClelland, Republican incumbent Stacy Garrity, Libertarian Nickolas Ciesielski, Constitutional Party candidate Troy Bowman and Forward Party candidate Chris Foster.

In the 13th Congressional District, Democrat Beth Farnham is challenging Republican incumbent John Joyce.

State legislative races vary by district. The 85th Legislative District, which spans parts of both counties, sees Democrat Nick Jacobson facing Republican David H. Rowe. In the 86th Legislative District, Republican Perry A. Stambaugh is running unopposed, while in the 171st Legislative District, Republican Kerry A. Benninghoff is alone on the ballot.

Voters must completely black out the ovals using black or blue ink on their ballot. Registration options exist for each race. Those who received absentee ballots but wish to vote in person must return their absentee ballot and envelope to poll workers to receive a regular ballot. Without submitting their postal ballot, voters can only vote provisionally at polling stations.

The increase in early voting reflects broader turnout trends across Pennsylvania this presidential election cycle. Both counties are maintaining standard voting procedures while accommodating increased volume through strategic deployment of staff and equipment.

Polling stations open at 7 a.m. Tuesday and close at 8 p.m. Voters waiting at closing time can still vote. The Mifflin County Elections Office can be reached at (717) 248-6571, while the Juniata County office number is (717) 436-7706.