CLEARFIELD – On Tuesday Clearfield County’s registered voters turned out at their polling places to let their voices be heard in the 2016 presidential election.
The Clearfield County Election Central Web site reported a 65.26 percent voter turnout from 70 precincts. The county has 53,228 registered voters, and of those, 34,739 cast ballots.
Local voters joined others nationally in electing Republican Donald Trump to be the 45th president of the United States. Of the ballots cast in Clearfield County, Trump had 24,890, or 72.18 percent, and Democrat Hillary Clinton had 8,180, or 23.72 percent.
“The election went well, and I am so impressed with that turnout,” said Commissioner John A. Sobel, chair. “We, as the commissioners, cannot remember the last time we had such a turnout.
He continued on, saying: “We wish we had that kind of turnout for every election.” Sobel also praised county voters for being “polite, orderly and cooperative” while fulfilling their civic duty.
State Rep. Tommy Sankey, who received an overwhelming vote from those in the 73rd House District to win reelection to his third-term in Harrisburg, was both thrilled and humbled by the support.
The Pennsylvania Elections Web site reported that the Republican, Sankey, had 71.2 percent, or 17,927 votes to defeat his Democratic opponent Fred Weaver, who had 28.8 percent, or 7,251 votes.
“It means a lot to me. It means a lot to my family,” said Sankey in a phone interview Wednesday with GANT News. “I was thrilled to see people show up at the polls. It shows they’re paying attention and getting engaged.
“It also shows they are upset with the status quo. They want to see a better Pennsylvania. They want to see a better America. They want to see a better future. They voted for that change, I am thrilled for our voters and couldn’t be happier.”
But now he’s won reelection, Sankey said it’s time to “get back to work,” adding there’s a lot of work to be done in Harrisburg.
Director of Elections Dawn Graham said there was neither any “major issues” nor “anything out of the ordinary” while the county was recording a 65 percent turnout at the polls.
With volumes of voters at polling places during this “extraordinary and historic” election, county elections officials and poll workers handled it magnificently. “It was a great job by all,” Sobel said.
Graham concurred: “We were pleased that it seemed to be a civil election. I would like to thank the elections office staff, poll workers, rovers and the voters for a successful election and turnout.”