WVIA Election 2025 Liveblog
Follow along with WVIA News today for the most up-to-date Election Coverage. The News Team is checking in at voting precincts, talking to voters and covering any issues in the region with election updates at wvia.org throughout the day, ending with the most complete results in the top-contested races.
Polls have closed for 2025 Pennsylvania municipal elections
The polls closed in the 2025 Pennsylvania election as of 8 p.m.
There were some snags reported in the region, but were reportedly not serious, officials said.
Anecdotally, turnout appeared to be low, as is typical in municipal elections.
Stay with WVIA News as we await returns and bring you reaction from key races, particularly in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
Poll workers report low turnout at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre
Sharon Weihbrecht, judge of elections at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre, called turnout "slow" but "typical" of a municipal election year.
"I've been doing this for 32 years. I think every election is important," she said. "President(ial) is crazy, it's out the door and down the street."
There was no line to vote at the church around 4 p.m. Tuesday and fewer than 100 people had signed in to vote.
Weihbrecht said they had issues with two of their electronic voting machines. One went "down" at the start of the day and the other had trouble around noon.
"They were real quick about getting here to get it (back) up," she said.
Larksville Judge of Elections: Machines took 2 hours to start on Election Day morning
Voting machines were down Tuesday morning at the Larksville Municipal Building, delaying electronic voting until around 9 a.m.
Judge of Elections Kim Lawson said poll workers issued around 30 paper ballots during the outage to ensure voters could still cast their votes.
Poll workers said the issue stemmed from malfunctioning access codes.
"People think it's our fault," Lawson said.
She said the election office was contacted immediately, and a representative arrived around 9 a.m. to resolve the problem.
Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo confirmed the polling place had emergency ballots available during the delay.
UPDATED - Crocamo: Dominion voting machines in Luzerne County mislabeled the title of judges up for retention
Dominion voting machines in Luzerne County mislabeled the title of judges up for retention in the 2025 election, county manager Romilda Crocamo said Tuesday afternoon.
“It has come to our attention at Luzerne County voter services that incorrect information has been programmed on electronic marking devices throughout the county,” Crocamo said in a text message to WVIA News. “This will not impact your vote on this question and your vote will count. Those machines were programmed by Dominion Voter Services.”
She said the electronic marking devices referred to the Supreme Court Retention Candidates as Justices of the Superior Court instead of Justices of the Supreme Court.
Crocamo said the information was only incorrect on electronic voting machines, not on paper ballots.
“The county is working with the Department of State to rectify the situation,” Crocamo said.
She said the county told polling places to post a message at the polls to refer to paper ballots which use the correct language.
Matt Heckel, press secretary for the Department of State, said around 5:15 p.m. the department was in contact with Luzerne County officials.
"Although the justices appear in a section clearly marked as 'Supreme Court,' the wording of the retention questions incorrectly identifies the court as Superior, not Supreme," he said in a statement.
He said voters' selections were recorded correctly and will be counted correctly.
"The Department will work closely with Luzerne (County) officials and their vendor in the coming weeks to identify additional measures to prevent similar errors from occurring during future elections," the statement reads.
Slow turnout in Moosic, Taylor
In Moosic, the voters were about as sparse as clouds in the sky on this Election Day.
Less than 200 people voted at the Moosic Borough Municipal Building by 2 p.m., according to election officials.
As Ellen Wilson cast her vote, she was thinking about "getting the most fair person in there, and the one who is going to care most for the constituents and the people involved."
In Taylor, Morgan Mickavicz was campaigning for her dad, Ken Mickavicz, who is running for re-election on borough council.
Poll workers at the Taylor Borough Community Center said a little more than 200 people voted here by 2 p.m.
"It's definitely a little bit of a slower day," she said. "I would like to see more numbers on days when it's not a presidential election, because local government is very important and very impactful on your everyday life."
In Dunmore, residents feed democracy and food banks
Inside the door of the Dunmore Community Center a large cardboard box encouraged borough residents to vote and to donate food items.
“We recognized that the food banks are being depleted primarily because folks who had SNAP were very concerned about losing their benefits, and people who never went to the food banks are going now,” council president Janet Brier said.
Brier, along with her fellow Dunmore’s council members and Mayor Max Conway, sponsored collections of nonperishable food donations for local food banks across the borough’s five voting locations.
“I'm just blown away by how many food banks there are and how much need there is,” Brier said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Donald Trump notified states in October that it would not be able to pay for SNAP if the government was still shut down by Nov. 1.
Just before noon, Brier said the response to the food drive is terrific. Community members also helped get the drive set up by creating the poster, sponsoring billboards and other contributions.
"We're just very, very, very concerned about the need in our area. When you talk to the people at the food banks, it's critical. It's a critical need for food, which is not a good thing," she said.
Brier said they will start distributing the food Wednesday. They plan to keep the donation box in the Dunmore Community Center until Nov. 30 and possibly through December.
Voters trickle into St. Aloysius Padden Hall in South Wilkes-Barre
It's a sunny, but windy, afternoon in South Wilkes- Barre. Voters from Wilkes- Barre's 17th and 18th wards trickled into St. Aloysius Padden Hall around noon.
Voters did not have to wait in line, but most voting machines were in use at all times. Poll workers ensured that voters moved through the process quickly.
Outside the entrance, canvassers handed out flyers for various candidates, including for Mark Bufalino, a Democrat who is running for Luzerne County judge against Republican Tom Mosca. "Vote for Bufalino!" a canvasser called after voters as they entered the church's hall.
Poll workers said turnout has been sporadic, with a pre-work rush early in the morning when polls opened, then a lull followed by what they called the lunch rush.
County manager: Starting voting machines only Election Day hiccup
Aside from some "usual spotty issues" starting up the county's voting machines, Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo said Election Day got off to a good start.
"Everyone is able to vote," she said as of 7:40 a.m. when WVIA News first checked in.
Crocamo said poll workers have issues "turning on the machines" every year, and in Nanticoke, Tuesday was no different.
At the Nanticoke Municipal Building, the machines were not connected to the internet when polls opened at 7 a.m.
"The critical times with these machines are opening and closing," Crocamo said.
The machines in Nanticoke took about 10 minutes to come online.
Crocamo said the machines have always been a challenge, and the county plans to switch to a new system next year.
As of 12:15 p.m., Crocamo said everything was "all good."
WVIA News will monitor the voting process throughout the region today. If you encounter any issues, contact us at wvianews@wvia.org.
Well into retirement, former Scranton councilman hits the city's largest precinct early in search of votes to make him mayor
Gene Barrett started his first Election Day as a Scranton mayor candidate in more than two decades by praying.
Barrett attended 6:30 a.m. Mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral, just as he does every day.
Unlike other Masses, the early morning one lasts about 20 minutes, he said.
“They don't do a sermon,” Barrett said. “Because it's effectively the working man's Mass. So that's what they used to call it, years ago. So they wanted to get people out of there so they could get to work.”
By 7:10 a.m., Barrett, running as a third-party candidate, stood outside the Keyser Valley Community Center. He waited to shake hands with voters and chatted with Colleen Eagen Gerrity, a candidate for Lackawanna County clerk of judicial records.
Poll workers for other candidates, including Barrett’s opponents, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat, and Trish Beynon, a Republican, milled about waiting, too.
The center stands as a touchpoint in Barrett’s long career in local government. Under the late Mayor Eugene Hickey, Barrett served as a program manager in the city’s Office of Economic and Community Development, which came up with the money to build the center in 1981.
On Election Days, the center hosts voting precinct 21-4, the one with the largest number of registered voters (1,782) among Scranton’s 48. Fewer than 50 voters had cast ballots by 8:30 a.m., but former City Councilman Brian Reap, a Republican who worked the poll for Barrett, said Keyser Valley gets busy after 3 p.m.
A former two-term city councilman who lost a bid for mayor to former Mayor Chris Doherty in 2001, Barrett turned 78 a month ago, but isn’t ready to call it a career, even though he retired from his last job years ago.
“I certainly don't feel my age,” Barrett said. “I'm not happy with the state of the city, so I feel I can do a better job than what's being done. And more importantly, the mayor wants to run for two jobs, the mayor and Congress. And you can't be 100% to both of those jobs. So in my mind, if she's reelected, she'll stand on the steps of City Hall, get sworn in as mayor, open the front door, walk down the hall, go out the back door and start to run for Congress. And that's not fair to the voters.”
That’s a reference to Cognetti announcing a bid for Congress next year.
Cognetti portrays Barrett and the other candidates as representatives of the corrupt, past ways of Scranton government, though none of her opponents has been charged with corruption.
“We have spent six years moving the city forward,” Cognetti said during the Oct. 16 mayoral debate. “I know the people of Scranton want to keep moving forward. We cannot go back to where we were. If I am elected to Congress in 2026, I will make damn sure that in 2027, there is someone sitting here on this debate stage that I can pass the torch to to continue to make progress.”
Barrett thinks he’s the most qualified candidate in the race anyway.
“I'm better. Just look at the qualifications and experience seven years in active duty in the United States Army, two terms on City Council, chairman of the Scranton Sewer Authority, distinguished graduate of the leadership school, United States Army, NCO Academy,” he said. “There's not a candidate in the race right now for mayor that's more qualified for the job than me.”
Incumbent Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti 'excited' on Election Day, touts track record of rebuilding trust and delivering excellent services
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti said it’s been a marathon campaign since her hard-fought primary win in May.
"You just get excited to get to 8 p.m. when the polls close," she said. "We have such an incredible record here in Scranton.”
She cast her vote after 9 a.m. Tuesday at Isaac Tripp Elementary School. Her husband, Ryan Cognetti, and their daughter, Brooke, joined the mayor.
Afterwards, Cognetti discussed that record.
During her six years in office, her administration has rebuilt trust in the city’s government and delivered excellent services, she said.
“All while rebuilding our finances and living within our means, making sure that taxpayer costs stay low,” she said.
A slow trickle of residents cast their votes at the elementary school in West Scranton.
Cognetti felt corruption was on the minds of voters as they headed to the polls Tuesday.
"We, currently, at the city, are the only functioning government right now. Our county is a mess … the state hasn't had a budget in four months now, and the federal government is shut down,” she said. “So the City of Scranton, cities all over America, are run by mayors who are literally holding down the fort. People are coming to us for help.”
But, she said, Scranton is a success story despite the dysfunction elsewhere.
"We have proven that we can rebuild a government and build trust. We're going to continue working at that every single day," she said.
Cognetti was not thinking about her bid to represent the 8th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. In early September, she announced that she will run for Congress next year against first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan.
“Moving forward, it's all about Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania,” she said, adding she did not plan to run for Congress. “I really, really love my job as mayor … We will not be able to continue to govern if the federal government, the Federal Congress, continues to just cut, cut, cut, cut completely.”
“We've cut waste, fraud and abuse from the city of Scranton, but you have to do that methodically so that you don't undercut services and undercut people. What's happening in Congress, what's happening right now is not okay with people,” she said.
Cognetti said her campaign kept things positive.
"We've always talked about the future and how we can continue to be better and continue to grow and thrive and be a great place to live," she said. "Unfortunately, you know, that's not the type of campaign that my opponents generally run. That's their choice."
“You can't do this work if you don't have a positive outlook every day,” she said.
Republican candidate for Scranton mayor feels optimistic
Trish Beynon said people in Scranton want a leader who will listen to them. The Republican mayoral candidate plans to listen to voters at polling places across the city today.
“That’s really important to everyone I talk to,” she said.
Beynon voted at Charles Sumner Elementary School in West Scranton shortly before 8 a.m., greeting supporters and receiving well wishes.
“I'm feeling pretty optimistic. I feel good about everything. I’m thinking that we're going to have a good chance of winning,” Beynon said. “People need change. They're waiting for it.”
Beynon, a first-time political candidate and an account executive at Scartelli Construction, hopes to upset Democratic incumbent Paige Cognetti. The mayor in September announced her bid for the 8th Congressional District seat next year while still running for re-election for mayor this year.
Third-party candidates Gene Barrett, a former Scranton councilman, and Frederick “Rik” Little, are also on the ballot.
Voters hope “that the next mayor will be the one that's going to stick around for the long term and help the people, fix the roads, make sure that there's less crime in the city,” Beynon said.
Beynon’s campaign is providing rides to the polls for those in need of one, and supporters will gather at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center tonight.
Outside Charles Sumner, volunteers for her campaign and for other candidates waited anxiously for the sun to reach the shade where they stood. The morning started chilly, but the temperature will reach the mid 50s in the afternoon.
“Here comes the mayor,” one supporter said as Beynon walked back outside after voting.
Voters ready at 7 a.m. in Nanticoke, machines not so much
Luzerne County voters headed out bright and early at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Nanticoke City Municipal Building opened its doors on time, with candidates waiting and shaking hands.
However, actual voting did not begin at the 7 a.m. start time.
Voters were told by officials to wait as machines were not ready for use. Election officials apologized for the inconvenience, adding that the machines would not connect to the internet.
Machines were down for at least 10 minutes until voters were able to go one at a time. Waiting residents grew angry, stating that the machines should have been ready prior to opening.
Upon leaving the polling place, all machines were open and ready for use.
*Candidates and other early morning voters at the city's municipal building declined to comment.
Polls open for 2025 Pennsylvania municipal election
Polls have opened for the 2025 Pennsylvania municipal election and will remain open until 8 p.m. Local election bureaus must receive a mail-in ballot by 8 p.m. for the ballot to count.
Voters will choose county and local government leaders, judges and school directors and decide the future of state appeals courts.
Those heading to the polls in person can expect sunny skies and cool to moderate temperatures throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service, with highs around 57 throughout the region and occasional wind gusts — and there's no precipitation in the forecast.
Here are some key things to know as you head out to vote or await returns:
What's up around the region?
This WVIA News story has a county-by-county rundown of the key races.
The marquee local races in Northeast and Northcentral Pennsylvania include Scranton mayor, Lackawanna County commissioner, Luzerne County Council and common pleas court judgeships in Luzerne, Monroe, Montour and Columbia counties.
In Luzerne County, voters will choose whether to substantially alter the county’s home rule charter, its chief governing document.
In Northumberland County, Shamokin voters will decide whether the city should adopt a charter developed by a study commission.
Many counties across the region have few or no competitive countywide or local races.
Statewide, a state Supreme Court justice retention race — usually unremarkable in the past — has attracted millions of dollars in campaign spending aimed at influencing voters on the court’s future makeup.
Basic information for voters
The Pennsylvania Department of State provides essential basic information for voters on the voting process, as well as how to contact individual county elections offices, election security, how to file an election complaint, and more.
Stay connected tonight
Check back with us after the polls close as WVIA News will bring you coverage of key races across the region.