A week out, how are things looking in your area?

[DeminPennswoods]

I live in a red part of Beaver County. I'm seeing the usual collection of signs for all candidates at major intersections. I don't think there are any more than usual GOP candidate yard signs in front of homes along the routes I drive, but I am seeing more signs for Lamb, Casey, Wolf, Fazio and Slappy in yards than usual. I'm not saying signs are in a lot of yards, just more than I've seen in the past. One GOP home I pass all the time usually has a plethora of signs for all R candidates and sometimes anti-Dem ones, too, but it only has a couple yard signs for Rothfus.

My sense is there's not a lot of excitement or interest among Republicans around me. None of the big name races (gov, senate, congress) are competitive and there's no local school board member elections on the ballot this year nor are there any ballot questions. My Dem friends, though, are excited and we all pretty much despise Trump and Rs in general. If I had to guess, it would be for R turnout to be somewhat lower than usual and Dems to be a bit higher than usual. It might be enough to flip a state house seat or state senate seat, but we'll see.

[Freddie]

1. I'm in PA-01

The hotly contested Fitzpatrick (R incumbent) v Scott Wallace race. Signs all over the place, maybe equal in # but Fitzpatrick’s signs are bigger. With the huge lie that he’s “the most independent Congressperson.” Polls have him maybe 1% ahead, hope us angry women can show him the door. I think Wolf and Casey are pretty safe. Please may that be so.

[blue neen]

2. PA-14 here.

Fewer signs than usual, from both sides. I wish there were more for Bibie.

[femmocrat]

4. I have seen almost no signs for anyone from the turnpike to Rt. 30.

I haven’t seen one sign for Reschenthaler, so I guess that’s a good thing! I have seen his ads on TV though.

Do you know if we have any ballot questions, school boards, anything like that? I looked up the sample ballot on the county site and it only has governor, Senate, House, plus state house and senate. No other elections?

Fortunately it looked to me like the democrats all had the #1 position for their office.

[DeminPennswoods]

5. There aren't any statewide ballot questions this year

Municipal elections are usually in odd number years, but you never know if a hot issue or contentious state legislator like, say, Darryl Metcalfe, is on a local ballot that will energize voters.

[femmocrat]

8. Thank you!

Finding a sample ballot should not be such a scavenger hunt! LOL

[blue neen]

6. There's a big billboard for Reschenthaler on Rt. 22 heading into Murrysville going east.

His ads on TV aren't really playing very well right now, in light of everything that happened last week.

I saw some ads for Bibie today on WTAE.

[femmocrat]

9. That's a republican stronghold.

Or used to be... I lived in that part of the county for about 13 years.

Glad Bibie is getting her ads on TV. Thanks!

[blue neen]

11. She had a new one running tonight.

[iamateacher]

3. Pa 6

Almost all Democratic.

[FakeNoose]

7. City of Pittsburgh (18th) is a "safe Dem district" and Mike Doyle is running unopposed

Just a mile north of me is the edge of the new 17th district where Rothfus and Lamb are duking it out.
I really think/hope Conor Lamb has a larger edge than his last outing in March. But it will still be close no matter what.
I'm seeing a lot of yard signs for both candidates, but I really don't know what that means.

Among my personal friends I don't know anyone who will vote a straight-R ballot, but some might split depending on the candidates. I don't know any red MAGA hat wearers anyway, so maybe I'm not giving a balanced report. We're mostly straight-D around here.

[femmocrat]

10. I saw a lot of Lamb signs around the Rte. 8 area last week. nt

[PRETZEL]

12. There's been a strong presence where I live in Montco

Melissa Shusterman, as well as the Democratic Party, has put alot of effort here, especially for state offices.

Although it may be tough in beating my incumbants Warren Kampf and John Rafferty, I do give them alot of credit for all the hard work they have done.

Ms. Shusterman has visited my house twice, as well as volunteers and they have done a great job with their ad campaigns.

[Number9Dream]

13. I'm in PA - 7th - Lehigh Valley

Susan Wild (D) is leading Marty Nothstein (R) in the polls by ~7 points. Libertarian, Silfies, a far distant third. After 2016 I learned to disregard the polls. In the Nazareth area, I see more Nothstein lawn signs than Wild (for what that's worth). I'd call it a toss-up. The attack ads against Wild have gotten nasty... trying to link her to criminal Mayor Pawlowski, etc. The Allentown Morning Call and WFMZ - TV always support Republicans.

[DeminPennswoods]

14. Absentee ballot requests more than double compared to 2014

In Beaver County (part of PA-17), absentee ballot requests are up significantly from 2014.

Beaver County elections director Dorene Mandity said she is expecting a “pretty high voter turnout” for Tuesday based on the absentee ballots issued and returned, which dwarf the figures in the last midterm in 2014.

Mandity said Friday that 3,048 absentee ballots were issued compared to 1,301 in 2014. Shortly before the 5 p.m. deadline, she said 2,691 absentee ballots had been returned compared to 1,301 four years ago.

There were about 400 more Democratic absentee ballots requested than Republican ones, she said.

That's 88% ABs that were returned by the deadline vs 100% in 2014. FWIW, yhere's still a good many DINOs here although party registrations have been switching to reflect voting behavior more closely over the past few years.

Link: http://www.timesonline.com/news/20181104/hotly-contested-races-for-legislature-congress-give-midterm-election-jolt

[modrepub]

15. SE Berks County Election Day

We're in a rural portion of SE Berks County, which was very red in 2016. Wife texted me this morning that our polling place was "mobbed". Polls opened at 7 am. I'll vote after I finish working from home. I checked and in 2016 there were more votes in my precinct than there were in any precinct in the City of Reading. Probably not the best news if you are hoping for Dems to carry the day. We may not like Trump but all the immigrant rhetoric appears to have motivated the same people in my area who helped him carry the state two years ago.