Politics & Government

2018 PA Election Results: Wolf, Casey Re-elected

Check here for Pennsylvania's 2018 midterm election results and live coverage throughout Election Day.

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Voters took to the rainy streets of southeastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning, braving lines, traffic on the roads, and inclement weather to cast their votes in several races which could play a crucial role in the outcome of Election Day.

Check out live results as they come in:

(Click on the race for live voting results)

Find out what's happening in Norristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Pennsylvania Governor

  • Tom Wolf (D)
  • Scott Wagner (R)
  • Paul Glover (G)
  • Ken Krawchuck (L)

Less than 10 minutes after the polls closed in Pennsylvania, networks projected incumbent Tom Wolf has won the election.

Find out what's happening in Norristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Lt. Governor

  • John Fetterman (D)
  • Jeff Bartos (R)
  • Joclyn Bowser-Bostick (G)
  • Kathleen S. Smith (L)

US Senate

  • Bob Casey (D)
  • Lou Barletta (R)
  • Neal Gale (G)
  • Dale Kearns (L)

Democratic incumbent Pennsylvania Sen. Robert Casey has defeated his Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, the Associated Press has projected.

U.S. House of Representatives

Pennsylvania State Legislature

Senate

House

Check out our live Election Day blog:

7:53 p.m.

A false claim, originating from the Montgomery County Republican Committee, circulated social media on Tuesday, alleged that voter machines across the county were malfunctioning when voters attempted to cast a "Straight Republican" ballot. There is no truth to the claim, a spokesperson with Montgomery County told Patch. Read the full story here.

6:41 p.m.

PennLive.com is reporting some residents have received a mysterious text message saying polls were closing early. This is false. Pennsylvania polls will close at 8 p.m. as always. If you're standing in line by 8 p.m., you should legally be able to vote.

6:37 p.m.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell stopped in South Philly to get on his megaphone and remind people to vote.

6:14 p.m.

Voters continue to hit the polls leading up to their closure at 8 p.m. In Bridgeport, stations were quiet and voting was swift, though there was a steady flow in and out of polling places. Bridgeport voter Julia Scavicchio said that healthcare, reproductive rights, and climate change were the issues that drove her to the polls. "I'm also motivated to help elect people who will bring more positivity to our political discourse," she said.

5:16 p.m.

Rainy conditions and wet roads led to heavy traffic at rush hour, as another slew of voters headed to the polls after work. In Montgomery County, traffic was epecially heavy on 422 at the junction with 202, and 422 westbound from King of Prussia through Valley Forge. Over in Delaware County, a large tree fell down across Route 1 in Upper Darby, blocking traffic in all directions, authorities said.

3:39 p.m.

Over at Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El on Remington Road in Wynnewood, voters outside reported an easy voting experience. Volunteers offered assistance in finding the correct sign-in table, and inside was a table offering education materials on gerrymandering on the recent redistricting in Pennsylvania.

Wynnewood resident Kyle Murray noted that this year was "obviously interesting" politically, but that he is most passionate about the importance of getting voters to the polls, regardless of party.

"I think it is my responsibility as an adult to vote, regardless of the candidates running or for what level is being contested," he said.

3:35 p.m.

After this morning's incident, Phoenixville voters said things were running smoothly. Local resident Trudy Miller said the election was vital for the future of her children and grandchildren, and that she was voting "straight blue" for Tom Wolf, Chrissy Houlahan, Bob Casey, and the local races.

"I'm a senior with many concerns, mainly where (the country and the Republican Party) are taking us," she said. I fear for the futures of my children and grandchildren, what the future may hold for them. It's a scary time for all of us."

Elsewhere in Phoenixville, new voters in the area expressed suprise over the use of paper ballots, which are typically used in the borough.

3:32 p.m.

Just before 3:30 p.m., Gov. Tom Wolf was seen arriving to cast his vote at the Eagle Fire Company in Mount Wolf.

3:22 p.m.

We caught up with some voters at the polls in Bucks County, where there is a hotly contested congressional race between incumbent Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrat Scott Wallace. Supporters from both sides shared their thoughts. One Wallace voter said it was President Donald Trump who was on his mind today. "I came here to get rid of him, if we're being straight." Read more.

2:58 p.m.

A voter in Berks County reported that an eagle landed above her as she was speaking about casting her vote for Katie Muth, a candidate for state Senate in the 44th District."I think that's a cool sign," she said.

2:05 p.m.

A woman was fatally hit by a car as she went into a Forks Township polling place in Northampton County this morning, according to multiple reports. The identity of the woman has not been released.

12:36 p.m.

The Philadelphia City Commissioners Election Day hotline phone number for voting issues was intermittenly not working Tuesday due to high volume, City Council confirmed on Twitter. Commissioner Al Schmidt said that there had been numerous complaints, but that many of them were unfounded.

12:31 p.m.

Philadelphia voters report being asked for identification to vote. Only voters who have never voted at that precinct before are required to show identification, according to Pennsylvania law. That identification does not have to be photo identification, but it must contain your name and address. It is illegal for poll workers to require you to present photo ID, law states.

12:29 p.m.

One polling place by the Schuylkill River Park in Center City had no line at all soon before noon. Torrential rains and the middle of the work day likely behind the lack of voters at the time. There seemed to be no issues with the two voting machines at the location. Poll workers asked for an ID for a first-time voter in the precinct.

12:12 p.m.

Voters in multiple locations have reported higher than usual turnout in the morning. One Center City Philadelphia voter said that more than 200 people had voted ahead of her that morning, which is more than in past years at the same polling place at the same time of morning. In one Phoenixville precinct, there was a similar number of voters by 10 a.m. as there had been during the 2016 Presidential Election.

12:21 p.m.

Voters across the region are sharing their photos of lines at the polling place. This one was taken at Woodside Church in Yardley.

12:06 p.m.

Lines have varied significantly by location, with voters at Lower Merion's 7th precinct in Wynnewood reporting a very smooth, "surprisingly easy" experience.

11:44 a.m.

The first 108 voters received the wrong ballot at a Phoenixville polling place. "I really hope that it doesn't come down to the wire because otherwise this will have to go to the courts and we won't have a winner tonight," said Michael Kuznar, a former Phoenixville borough councilman who was at the polls.

11:24 a.m.

Voters in PA's 1st District, where there is a hotly contested congressional race between Republican incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrat Scott Wallace, are reporting significant wait times to vote at some polling places. One resident reported the line to vote at her Plumstead Township voting location was an hour, the longest she had ever experienced.

11:19 a.m.

Republican candidate for Governor Scott Wagner was photographed Tuesday morning at a Delaware County polling place, where he met up with his running mate, Jeff Bartos. His opponent, incumbent Tom Wolf, released this quick video on Facebook reminding Pennsylvanians to get out there and vote.

11:17 a.m.

In Chester County, a precinct in Phoenixville whose residents vote in one of two different state legislature races handed out incorrect ballots.

At one Malvern polling place, there a sign was posted on the door that read "Mobs" with "Democrats" underneath it, and then "Jobs" with "Republicans" beneath it.

ELECTION DAY BASICS

Pennsylvania is once again a swing state in 2018. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey needs to maintain his seat for Democrats to have a chance at flipping the Senate, while the numerous closely contested Congressional districts across the state will determine the balance of power in the House. Gov. Wolf faces a challenge from Republican Scott Wagner, while the results of state legislature races will shape policy on hot-button Pennsylvania issues like health care, fracking, arming teachers, and more.

Democrats have an edge in 2018 in Pennsylvania which they did not have in 2016, when Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton and Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey defeated Katie McGinty. That edge is the state's redrawn Congressional maps, as Pennsylvania previously included several of the most gerrymandered districts in the United States.

The consensus is that these maps soundly favor the left. Two suburban Philadelphia districts offer a prime example of this. The 6th and the 7th were both Republican-controlled, both severely gerrymandered, and both home to incumbents that either retired (Ryan Costello) or resigned (Pat Meehan). The redrawn maps now "lean Democratic" (6th) and are "likely Democratic" (5th, which includes the bulk of the geographic territory of the old 7th), per Cook Political Report.

Pennsylvania currently has 10 Republican representatives (12 if you count two posts now vacant due to resignations) and six Democrats. Five Thirty Eight forecasts the Democrats to pick up three of those seats in the state, giving the Pennsylvania delegation an even split of nine blue and nine red representatives. The forecast is similarly blue nationally, with Democrats getting an 87 percent chance of flipping the required 21 seats.

At the statewide level, both incumbent Democrats Gov. Wolf and U.S. Sen. Casey hold leads of about 16 percentage points, according to an average of polls from RealClearPolitics. Hillary Clinton held at least a seven point lead in Pennsylvania in the days before the 2016 election, however, so these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt.

Voter FYI

Polling Hours: 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Where to vote: Find your polling place here.

Sample Ballots: Curious about what your ballot will look like on inside the booth? Check the links below for a glance at what you'll find when the curtain closes Tuesday. The county ballots are broken down by municipality and precinct.

Voter Intimidation and Voting Rights

Election workers and local officials across the state will be working to ensure polling places are kept safe and free of any form of corruption. In Montgomery County, prosecutors have been made available to look into any reports of intimidation, threats, or complaints from polling places.

"A cornerstone of our democracy is a fair election," District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement Monday. "And every citizen has the right to cast their ballot unimpeded.

In Philadelphia, an Election Fraud Task Force of 60 assistant district attorneys and 20 detectives is at the ready to respond to any voter fraud or criminal activity.

"This is probably the most important midterm election in at least a generation, so to make sure every vote counts and our election runs smoothly on November 6th, our Election Fraud Task Force will be ready to respond to issues at the polls," Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney, said in a statement. "Philadelphians should not hesitate to call our hotline if they see a problem at 215–686–9641, 9643 or 9644."

More voting rights information can be found here.

Image via Shutterstock

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