Four Notes On Tuesday's Election

We analyze  after election campaigns came to an end Tuesday in Narberth, Bala Cynwyd, Belmont Hills and Penn Valley:

1. Narberth-Bala Cynwyd Patch voter turnout outperformed the township and county. Montgomery County records showed 32 percent of the county's registered voters went to the polls, and 36 percent of Lower Merion School District voters (all of Narberth and Lower Merion) turned out. In contrast:
   —Narberth: 36 percent
   —Lower Merion Ward 1 (includes Penn Valley): 41 percent
   —Lower Merion Ward 3 (includes Belmont Hills, Bala Cynwyd, Penn Valley): 38 percent
   —Lower Merion Ward 9 (includes Bala Cynwyd): 42 percent
   —Lower Merion Ward 13 (includes Bala Cynwyd): 42 percent
   
   
   
2. Republican candidates lost their races but got more support than than would suggest. In each of the four local wards, 12 or 13 percent of the voters are not registered with either major political party, according to county records as of Oct. 22. But only in Ward 3 did the Democratic candidate's percent of the vote Tuesday exceed the percentage of ward voters registered Democratic:
   Ward Dem % of votes Rep % of votes % registered Dems % registered Reps % registered other 1 53 47 54 34 12 3 61 39 55 33 12 9 63 37 64 23 13 13 65 35 65 23 13
   
   
3. Compared to 2007, Democrats did better in Wards 1 and 3, worse in Ward 9 and finally faced a challenger in Ward 13. Democrat Mark Taylor won Ward 1 by six votes in 2007; 's cushion Tuesday was 74. Ward 3's improved to 61 percent of the vote from 59 percent in 2007. in Ward 9 saw a comedown from his 74-percent rout in 2007 to 63 percent. And took 65 percent of the vote in a Ward 13 his predecessor, Bruce Reed, won without a Republican challenge in 2007.
   
    
4. Also compared to 2007, turnout apparently improved in Bala Cynwyd and declined in Belmont Hills and Penn Valley. The numbers below compare the number of votes specifically in Board of Commissioners races:
   Ward 2007 votes 2011 votes 1 1,432 1,318 3 1,278 1,051 9 1,245 1,312 13 1,254 1,331