Polls across Pennsylvania are now closed for those voting in person in this year’s primary election.

A right and a privilege

Sisters Anne-Michelle and Anna-Marie McMuldren were the only two voters in the basement of Grace Community Presbyterian Church in Lower Burrell to vote Tuesday afternoon.

“The sun is shining, no excuses,” Anna-Marie, 67, said. “You don’t vote, you don’t get to complain.”

She posted on Facebook encouraging people to vote that morning.

“It’s my right,” she said. “My privilege.”

Even in the primaries the sisters were passionate about the importance of voting. They’ve voted in every election that’s taken place since they were old enough to cast their first ballots.

“I have a voice,” Anne-Michelle, 66, said about voting.

— Haley Daugherty

‘Watching paint dry’

Joshua Davis, of Tarentum, was working at the polls for the third time in his life Tuesday.

“It’s like watching paint dry,” he said.

As a majority clerk, Davis was in charge of making sure voter ballots were counted and fed through the machine. He didn’t get to handle many ballots Tuesday.

It was a slow morning for the Tarentum polling place located in the borough’s municipal building. By noon, only 14 people had come to vote. Three of them were poll workers.

Davis said he passed the time playing games on his phone and chatting with other poll workers.

“I’ve met some really nice people,” Davis said. “It’s something to do.”

— Haley Daugherty

Latest updates from Allegheny County

The Allegheny County Elections Division has deployed portable toilets (aka Mr. Johns) to two polling places this morning, according to an update from Abigail Gardner, an Allegheny County spokeswoman. There was no word on the reason behind the deployment.

Also, county employees have inspected and opened the outer envelopes of about 80,000 returned mail-in ballots in the warehouse, and extracted inner envelopes from outer envelopes. They are now extracting ballots from inner envelopes.

Slow morning at the polls

Polling places in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood saw a slow trickle of voters Tuesday morning.

As she entered Brookline Recreation Center to cast a ballot, Debra Mannella, 70, of Brookline told TribLive she always makes sure to vote. “People died for our right to vote, and that’s why we do it,” she said.

Jeff Danchik, 70, of Brookline said he’s been a consistent voter since he turned 18. He feels people should vote in every election.

Danchik said he worries heated rhetoric around politics have discouraged some people from voting. He was disheartened by how empty his Brookline polling place was Tuesday morning.

“They should make Election Day a holiday. That would help,” he said. “Unfortunately, the name calling and badmouthing and things like that turn a lot of people off.”

— Julia Burdelski

Quiet in Westmoreland also

The pace is similarly slow in Westmoreland County.

At West Newton’s Third Ward precinct in the Keystone Rail House Event Center, poll workers had only recorded 21 voters as of 10:30 a.m.

In Murrysville, local Republican committee members were on hand to greet voters as they trickled in outside of polling places.

Elaine Gowaty, 78, is the committee’s West Murrysville organizer, and was outside the municipal building on Tuesday morning. She said it’s always difficult to bring voters out for both primaries and mid-term elections.

“We do a lot of door-to-door work and phone calls, but with primaries it’s been really tough,” Gowaty said. “It’s been slow.”

Andy Jarabak, 77, of Murrysville, was handing out fliers and greeting voters at the Sardis Volunteer Fire Company, agreed.

“We send out letters and postcards and use our social media to try and bring people out,” Jarabak said. “I’ve been involved in politics all my life. You meet a lot of great people and have a lot of fun.”

— Patrick Varine

Morning’s 1st report

All 1,327 precincts in Allegheny County opened as planned for Election Day, according to Abigail Gardner, an Allegheny County spokeswoman.

About 120 county workers were sworn in at the warehouse and have begun the process of pre-canvassing the more than 80,000 mail-in ballots that have already been returned.

Voters will be able to hand in mail-in ballots at the County Office Building until 8 p.m. The Post Office will continue to deliver ballots to the warehouse throughout the day.

What’s at stake?

The primary will decide the Democratic and Republican nominees for the pivotal midterm election in November.

Pennsylvania has a closed primary system in which Republicans and Democrats can vote only for candidates in their respective parties. But all voters in Pittsburgh — including independents and members of third parties — will be able to vote on a ballot question about public hearing notices.

To find your polling place, check online at the state’s website.

• Election HQ: Voter guide for 2026 Primary Day in Western Pennsylvania • What to know going into Tuesday’s primary • Referendum asks voters about how Pittsburgh publishes public notices  

Most races are uncontested in this year’s primary. There are about a dozen contested nomination battles across Southwestern Pennsylvania.

They include a contested race for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, with Allegheny County GOP Chairman Jason Richey facing Hempfield’s John Ventre, a retired UPS executive. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, is facing a primary challenge from Pittsburgh’s William Parker in the 12th Congressional District, while Beaver County Sheriff Tony Guy and Robinson’s Jesse James Vodvarka are seeking the Republican nomination to run against U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Fox Chapel, in the 17th District.

There are nearly a dozen contested races for state House and Senate.

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