Election HQ: A voter guide to 2021 primary races

Primary election day in Pennsylvania is Tuesday. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

The state has an online tool to let voters find their polling place by entering their address here.

For more information on polling places, go to the official election pages for your county:

• Allegheny County election page

• Westmoreland County election page

• Armstrong County election page

Election coverage from TribLIVE

Polls open for Pennsylvania primary election

Polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday for Pennsylvania’s primary, an election usually marked by low voter turnout that could be bolstered by mail-in voting and statewide ballot questions that could draw third-party voters. More.

Referendums

Your guide to Pa.’s 2021 primary ballot questions

All Pennsylvania voters — yes, that includes independents and minor-party members — will be asked to consider four ballot questions. Two of them are about as non-controversial as possible. The other two? A different story. Below, Spotlight PA breaks down the basics of what they would do, who is in favor and who is opposed. More.

Ballot questions should be clear, but 2 written by Wolf administration don’t pass test, critics say

Two proposed constitutional amendments that will be before voters have drawn the ire of Republican leaders in the state House and Senate, who called language written by the Wolf administration “prejudicial.” More.

4 referendums to appear on primary ballots in May; all registered voters eligible

All 8.8 million of Pennsylvania’s registered voters will be able to cast ballots on May 18, when four referendums will appear, including three that seek the change the state’s constitution. More.

House special elections

District 59

3 candidates vie to fill vacancy in 59th district special election

Ligonier Democrat Mariah Fisher, Unity Republican Leslie Baum Rossi and Ligonier Libertarian Robb Luther will square off in a special election to fill the vacancy in the 59th Legislative District created by the Jan. 2 death of state Rep. Mike Reese. More.

District 60

3 candidates vie for state Rep. Jeff Pyle’s seat in special election

Three candidates will vie for the seat of former state Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Ford City, in a special election race. More.

3 candidates receive nominations in special election race to replace state Rep. Jeff Pyle

Three nominees to replace former state Rep. Jeff Pyle have been chosen by their respective parties to run in a special election to represent parts of Armstrong, Indiana and Butler counties. More.

ALLEGHENY

Common Pleas judges

39 candidates fight for 9 Allegheny County Common Pleas judicial seats

Voters will have the chance to impact the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court’s future as nine seats are up for election. Thirty-nine candidates are vying for 10-year positions on the bench. More.

Baldwin

5 Democrats running for 4 spots on ballot for Baldwin Council

Five Democrats are vying for four spots on the November ballot: E. John Egger, Raymond “Butch” Dee, incumbent Marianne Conley, Erin Brown and Michael Steimasczyk. Republican Rebecca Conley is running unopposed in the primary. More.

Bethel Park

Bethel Park School Board race has 7 candidates seeking nods for 4 ballot spots

Bethel Park School District’s political landscape will change this year as no incumbents sought reelection. More.

Bethel Park council candidates seek their parties’ nominations

In Bethel Park, representatives in the odd-numbered wards are up for election this year. More.

Carnegie, Crafton and Rosslyn Farms

5 vying for 4 spots on the ballot for Carlynton school board

Carlynton School District residents will see a few familiar faces on the school board director ballot as four incumbent school board directors look to retain their seats. More.

Chartiers Valley

8 candidates running for 4 spots on the ballot for Chartiers Valley school board director

In Chartiers Valley School District, eight candidates are competing for four spots on the November ballot for school board director. More.

Fawn

3 Republicans in contention for 2 Fawn supervisor seats in primary election

Three Republicans are facing off in the primary for two seats on Fawn’s board of supervisors. More.

Fox Chapel

2 seeking open position to represent Fox Chapel Area School Board in Region 2

Fox Chapel Area residents in Region 2 will see two nominees vying for one open position. Region 2 covers Fox Chapel Borough Districts 2, 4, and 5, and all of Indiana Township. More.

5 nominees seeking 4 spots on the Republican ballot for Fox Chapel council; 2 Dems running unopposed in primary

The race for Fox Chapel council is drawing a lot of attention this year, with seven nominees vying for four open positions. More.

Leet

4 Democrats, 2 Republicans vie for ballot spots in Leet commissioners race

In Leet, four Democrats and two Republicans are vying for two spots on the ballot for each political party — Republican Jeff Besong withdrew from the race too late for his name to be removed from the ballot. The only incumbent in the race is board of commissioners president Donna Adipietro. More.

Leetsdale

2 Democrats in race for Leetsdale mayor

In Leetsdale, incumbent Democrat Mayor Peter Poninsky is up against Democrat Sandra Ford in the primary. More.

6 Leetsdale Democrats running for 4 council spots on November ballot

Six Democrats are vying for four spots on the November ballot: incumbent Osman Awad, Beth Carrol, incumbent Benjimen Frederick, Patricia Lee, incumbent Thomas Michael and Elizabeth Surmacz. More.

McCandless

3 seats up on McCandless council, only 1 race in spring primary

Three of the seven seats on McCandless Town Council are up for reelection this year, but there is only one race in the spring primary among the candidates seeking office. More.

North Allegheny School Board

8 candidates cross-file for 4 open seats on North Allegheny School Board

Only one of the four North Allegheny school directors whose terms expire this year are seeking reelection. More.

North Hills

2 of 4 North Hills school board members up for reelection not running; 8 in the race for 4 open seats

Four of the nine directors on the North Hills school board are up for election this year, but only two of the incumbents are seeking another four-year term in office. More.

Oakmont and Verona

Riverview School Board primary has 6 candidates seeking both party nominations for 4 seats

Oakmont and Verona residents might see all the same Riverview School Board candidates vying for nominations in the primary on the November ballot, as six people have cross-filed. More.

O’Hara

O’Hara teacher/attorney Dave Turner seeking Lower Valley judge seat

An O’Hara teacher seeking the Lower Valley magistrate office said his classroom experience positions him well to find practical solutions. More.

Penn Hills

Penn Hills school board has 7 candidates seeking party nods to run for 4 seats

Penn Hills residents might see all the same school board candidates vying for nominations in the primary on the November ballot, as five out of seven people have cross-filed and just two seek only the Democratic nod to run for four seats. More.

Pitcairn

Pitcairn mayoral race pits 20-year-old challenger against 81-year-old incumbent

Margaret “Betsy” Stevick, 81, is running for reelection to another four-year term in the May 18 primary. Her opponent in the Democratic primary is 20-year-old Mika Petrosky, who also grew up in Pitcairn. More.

Pittsburgh

12 vie for 5 open seats on Pittsburgh Public Schools board

Five out of nine seats on the Pittsburgh Public Schools board are up for grabs this election, and a dozen candidates are competing for them. More.

Pittsburgh’s mayoral election features 2 established candidates and 2 novices

Pittsburgh’s mayoral has two political insiders — the incumbent and a longtime state representative — and two outsiders, a retired cop and an Ivy League-educated math tutor/ride-hailing driver. More.

Plum

Plum Republicans challenging to be on the November ballot

Plum Republicans have some choices to make when it comes to who they want to see on the November ballot. More.

Sewickley

Sewickley municipal races uncontested

There are no contested races in Sewickley for the primary election. More.

Scott

Most Scott races uncontested in primary

In Scott, most races are uncontested. More.

South Hills

Uncontested municipal races in the South Hills

Multiple South Hills municipalities have uncontested council, commissioner or mayoral races in the primary election. More.

Whitehall

5 Republican candidates running for 4 Whitehall council spots on the ballot

In Whitehall, five Republicans are running for four spots on the ballot — incumbent Linda Book, John Paravati, Harold Plusa, Stone Sobieralski and incumbent William Veith. More.

Armstrong County

Apollo

Three incumbents and the mayor vie for 3 seats on Apollo Council

Three incumbents and the current mayor are vying for the Democratic nomination for three seats on Apollo Council. More.

Gilpin

3 vying for GOP nomination in Gilpin supervisors race

Three Republican candidates are vying for one nomination in the GOP primary race for the Gilpin Board of Supervisors. More.

WESTMORELAND

Franklin Regional

Franklin Regional school board primary includes 10 candidates

Unlike the 2019 primary, when the Franklin Regional School District’s Sloan “elementary campus” project dominated much of the election discussion, the 10 candidates seeking open school board seats in 2021 cited a wide variety of reasons for running. More.

Harrison

2 Republicans vie to replace Democratic Harrison commissioner

Two political newcomers are facing off in the Republican primary to replace a Democratic Harrison commissioner who is not seeking reelection. More.

Hempfield

2 candidates vie for empty seat on Hempfield’s Board of Supervisors

As two new candidates vie for one open seat on the Hempfield board of supervisors, a recurring theme is piquing the interest of those running. More.

Hempfield Area School Board primary slate includes 9 candidates

Unlike the 2019 primary, when several Hempfield Area School Board candidates seemingly formed a unified front in a desire to end property tax assessment appeals, the nine candidates hoping to clinch one of the four open seats this year are running for a variety of reasons. More.

Irwin

No contest in Irwin primary for mayor, council

Irwin residents voting in the primary will not have to agonize over who to vote for in the Democratic and Republican nominations for council or mayor because all the candidates will win in the primary, barring a strong write-in campaign. More.

Kiski Area

Political newcomer challenges 2 incumbents in Kiski Area School Board race

A Vandergrift business owner is looking to unseat one of two incumbent Kiski Area School District board members in Region I. Candidates on theballot are Todd Sterlitz, Kathleen Snyder and Mark Flemm Jr. Two Region I seats are up for reelection. Board members are elected to four-year terms. More.

Latrobe

4 challengers face 3 incumbents in Greater Latrobe School Board primary

Seven cross-filed candidates are vying for four seats on the Greater Latrobe School Board. More.

Mt. Pleasant

Westmoreland officials seek answers for Mt. Pleasant Township ballot error

Westmoreland County elections officials on Monday continued to piece together how the race for a district judge’s seat was excluded from mail-in ballots sent to voters last week in four Mt. Pleasant Township precincts. More.

Incorrect ballots mailed to some Mt. Pleasant voters, Westmoreland County says

Westmoreland County officials acknowledged that more than 190 incorrect mail-in ballots were issued to voters in Mt. Pleasant Township.

Ballots issued to voters in four precincts — Ridgeview, Mammoth, United and Westmoreland Homestead — erroneously omitted the race for district judge to replace Michael Mahady, who will retire at the end of his current six-year term, according to a news release. More.

4 seek GOP primary nod for supervisor in Mt. Pleasant Towship

Mt. Pleasant Township voters will be sending a new face to the three-member board of supervisors this fall for the first time in years with the retirement of Jack Rutkowski. More.

Murrysville

Drop box added at Murrysville location ahead of May 18 primary

Westmoreland County officials say more than 15,400 mail-in ballots have been sent out to voters ahead of the primary. Another batch of more than 800 ballots is ready to go out, Elections Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani said. The deadline to apply for mail-in ballots was May 11. They must be received at the courthouse by 8 p.m. May 18 to be counted. More.

6 GOP candidates will battle for 4 open seats on Murrysville Council

Six Republican candidates, including two incumbents, will contend in May’s primary for a chance at four open Murrysville Council seats in the general election. More.

Norwin

Norwin school board candidates emphasize mental health, budget, transparency

Keeping students safe, physically and mentally, during the pandemic and the budget are among issues raised by the nine candidates seeking nominations for four seats on the Norwin School Board in the May 18 primary. More.

North Huntingdon

North Huntingdon commissioner, predecessor face off in GOP primary

Republican voters in North Huntingdon’s Fourth Ward will see two familiar names on the township commissioners ballot in the primary. It will be a replay of the 2017 primary and general election, only the roles will be reversed because Brian Blasko, then the challenger, now is the incumbent and Richard Gray, then the incumbent, is this year’s challenger. More.

Trafford

5 Republicans vie for 4 council seats in Trafford primary

When Republican voters in Trafford head to the polls Tuesday for the primary election, they will find a slate of five hopefuls seeking four open seats on borough council. More.

Westmoreland

Westmoreland Clerk of Courts candidates tout experience ahead of May primary

Westmoreland’s Clerk of Courts office in 2009 became the first domino to fall in the Republican Party takeover of most county row offices after more than a half-century of Democratic dominance. More.