Vast Majority of Bucks Polling Sites Have Electricity

Of the 215 polling places in Bucks County, only one will have to move for Election Day tomorrow as a result of the damage caused last week by Hurricane Sandy.

The Bucks County Board of Elections agreed unanimously to relocate the polling site at Riegelsville Borough Hall to the Riegelsville Fire Company. The decision came during an emergency meeting held in the community room at the Bucks County Courthouse Monday afternoon.

The move is a temporary action in response to the emergency situation and will not be permanent for future elections. Chief Clerk Lynn Bush told the board the issue was not only lack of power, but safety concerns, as well.

"There is a power pole that is down that held multiple utilities," said Bush.

Riegelsville Fire Company will join three other sites as the only polling places operating on generator power, including the Upper Black Eddy Firehouse, and the Tinicum and Durham township buildings. All four are serviced by Met-Ed.

The remaining sites are operating on their primary utility suppliers, and backup generators are ready for deployment if any buildings lose power. Each voting machine also has a backup battery pack that lasts between 12 and 18 hours.