News & Brews May 15, 2023
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Vote counting, results, and more for tomorrow’s primary election
With races for statewide courts down to city councils and more, Spotlight PA gives a preview of how the vote-counting timeline may go tomorrow. The takeaway: even with mail-in ballots, counties generally think they’ll be able to count ballots and have results relatively quickly.
Dems continue to outpace GOP in mail-in voting
PennLive reports that Republicans saw a 4.9% increase in voters requesting a mail-in/absentee ballot for tomorrow’s primary, as compared with the 2022 primary. However, “Democrats’ interest in using this voting method continues to outpace Republicans’ applications by a 3-to-1 margin.” In terms of raw numbers, data from the Department of State shows 598,552 mail-in applications from Dems and 181,301 from Republicans.
Things to watch in Allegheny races
As voters head to the polls in the races for Allegheny County executive and district attorney, along with other local races, the Post-Gazette says the contests “will help determine control of Allegheny County’s Democratic Party.” Will the progressive or the establishment wing of the party emerge the victor? How will the votes break down in Pittsburgh vs. the suburbs? Do voters even care?
Final push for Philly mayoral candidates
Meanwhile, across the state, the Inky reports that Dem mayoral candidates in Philly seem to be in a “neck-and-neck … and-neck-and-neck race” heading into tomorrow. The race “appear[s] at a relative standstill.” A poll shows “a virtual three-way tie between Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, and Rebecca Rhynhart, with Allan Domb within striking distance and Jeff Brown not far behind. One in six likely voters, according to that poll, said they were undecided. Nine candidates will appear on the ballot for mayor.”
About that new ‘study’ endorsing RGGI
You may have seen the media reports of the new “study” that purportedly “bolsters the case for Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.” The study was put out by the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and Resources for the Future. Here’s what’s not readily apparent in the news: Resources for the Future is funded by oodles of left-wing foundations. These include a group that lobbies for restricting coal use and a group that’s part of Arabella Advisors, the behemoth left-wing dark money organization.