Since the names of candidates on the ballot are only from the two major parties, Republican and Democrat, only 70,301 of the 88,776 voters registered in Schuylkill County will be eligible to vote on Tuesday, May 18, in the Primery Election. But it should bring them out in droves as both parties have hot contests for all state and federal offices. The lone exceptions are the three incumbent state legislators, who are unopposed for their party nominations. They will have opposition in the fall general election.

It is a year of voter unrest and has created an unusually competitive election not only in Schuylkill County but all over the state. The unrest has created an onus on incumbents who are seeking re-election.The controversial health care issue will have a bearing on those seeking election to the U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate and the financial problems of the state is one of the main issues concerning the governor's race.Also this year the number of precincts in Schuylkill County has been reduced from 167 to 125. Voters who are unsure of the location of their polling place should contact the election bureau in Pottsville.State seatsThe three incumbent state legislatures have no opposition in the primary but there are candidates seeking nominations in the opposite parties who will battle them in the fall.There is a contest between two Republicans for the party's nomination for the 125th District, which seat is currently held by a Democrat. There has been great criticism of the house members about the confusion of the division between campaign and legislative work, talk about term limits and pay issues and the inability to adopt a budget on time.123rd District - Incumbent Neal Goodman, Mahanoy City, is seeking re-election. Ettore G. DiCasimirro, Mahanoy Township, is seeking the Republican nomination.DiCasimirro, 23, is associated with his father in the family coal business, Skytop Coal and Oil Company. The district comprises of part of City of Pottsville ( Fifth and Sixth Wards), townships of Blythe, Branch, part of Butler (Englewood, Fountain Springs and Northeast), Cass, Delano, East Norwegian, Foster, Mahanoy, New Castle, Norwegian, Reilly, Ryan and West Mahanoy and boroughs of Ashland, Frackville, Gilberton, Girardville, Gordon, Mahanoy City, Middleport, Minersville, Palo Alto, New Philadelhia, Port Carbon, Shenandoah and Saint Clair.124th District - Incumbent Jerry Knowles, Rush Township, is seeking the nomination on the Republican ballot for re-election to his first full term. He won a special election last June to fill the unexpired term of Dave Argall, who resigned to run and was elected to the state senate. Argall is now seeking to be elected to the U.S. Congress.Jeffrey Faust, 41, East Brunswick Township, is seeking the Democratic nomination. He is currently co-owner and operator of an early education childcare center in Pine Grove. He is a graduate of Blue Mountain High School in 1986.The district is comprised of parts of Schuylkill County consisting of townships of East Brunswick, East Union, Kline, North Union, Rush, Schuylkill, Union, Walker, West Brunswick and West Penn; boroughs of Coaldale, Deer Lake, McAdoo, New Ringgold,Orwigsburg, Port Clinton, Ringtown and Tamaqua and parts of Berks County consisting of townships of Albany, Greenwich, Maidencreek, Ontelaunee, Perry and Wilson and boroughs of Hamburg, Lenhartsville and Shoemakersville.125th District - Incumbent Tim Seip, Washington Township, is seeking the nomination on the Democratic ballot for re-election for another term. Two men are seeking the nomination to be the Republican candidate in the fall election. Mike Tobash, 45, Pottsville, is oppposed by Robert Loy, Washington Township. Tobash is principal of Tobash Insurance company. He is a graduate of Tri-Valley High School and Elizabeth College. He served as chairman of the United Way Campaign.Loy is a retired Army Warrant Officer. He graduated from Pine Grove Area High School.The district comprises of parts of Schuylkill County consisting of parts of City of Pottsville (01,02,03,04 and 04 wards); townships of Barry, part of Butler (Lavelle), Eldred, Frailey, Hegins, Hubley, North Manheim, Pine Grove, Porter, South Manheim, Tremont, Upper Mahantongo, Washington and Wayne and boroughs of Auburn, Cressona, Landingville, Mechanuicsville, Mount Carbon, Pine Grove, Schuylkill Haven, Tower City and Tremont and part of Berks County consisting of townships of Centre and Tilden and boroughs of Centerport and Leesport.Governor's raceThe Democrats have more choices for Governor than the Republicans. Four candidates are running on the Democratic ballot and two on the Republican. There will be a new governor next January as Incumbent Governor Ed Rendell will have concluded his limited two terms of office in December.Democrats - Dan Onorato, Allegheny County; Jack Wagner, Allegheny County; Anthony Hardy Williams, Philadlephia County; and Joseph M. Hoeffel, Montgomery County.Onorato, 49, bills himself as the only one with experience as a government chief executive and is a former Allegheny County Controller. He is the best financed Democratic candidate with a $6.5 million war chest. He claims it is time for reform.Wagner, 62, a former U.S. Marine who is the current state auditor general, favors convening the first state constitutional convention to overhaul the legal foundation of the state government.Williams, 53, a current state senator, advocates increase linkages between employers and schools so students gain economically usefull skills.Hoeffel, 59, favors establishing a nonpartisan Legislative Budget Office to provide objective estimates of program costs and minimum partisan disputes which paralyze the state assembly.Republican - Tom Corbett, Allegheny County, and Samuel E. Rohrer, Berks County, are battling for the Republican nomination.Corbett, 60, is the current state Attorney General and if Pennsylvania voters seek reform Corbett has already started the process as he has successfully prosecuted high ranking state lawmakers obtaining 10 criminal convictions to date.Rohrer, 54, has been a state legislative representative from Berks County for 17 years and bills himself as an "authentic conservative." The centerpiece of his campaign is to replace school property taxes by extending sale tax and more funding for public education.Lt. Governor raceBoth parties have contests for the lieutenant governor seat.Candidates on the Republican ballot are, Steven Johnson, York County; Jean Craige Pepper, Erie County; Russ Diamond, Lebanon County; Chet Beiler, Lancaster County; Bill McCue, Washington County; John Kennedy, Cumberland County; Stephen A. Urban, Luzerne County; and Daryl Metcalfe, Butler Township.Democrat candidates are, Doris A. Smith-Ribner, Philadelphia County; H. Scott Conklin, Centre County; and Jonathan A. Saidel, Philadelphia. The Democratic State Committee endorsed Jonathan Saidel.U.S. Senate raceThe race for the United States Senate seat is drawing a lot of attention because of Incumbent Senator Arlin Specter, Philadelphia County, who changed his party status from Repubublican to Democrat and is seeking the Democrat nomination. He is opposed by Joe Sestak, Delaware County.Specter. 80, is Pennsylvania's longest-serving U.S. senator having served as a Republican for 28 years before switching last year. He considers himself a centrist who has favored biomedical research funding, abortion rights and hate crime penalties. Spector was one of three Republicans who supported Obama's $787 billian stimulis package last year. He defected in April 2009 from the Republican Party.His foe in the primary is Sisak, 58, a retired U.S. Navy vice admiral who served as director for defense in the White House. He is currently a second term congressman from Philadelphia suburbs.Two candidates are seeking the Republlican Party's nomination for United States Senate, Peg Luksik, Cambria County, and Pat Toomey, Lehigh County.Luksik, 64, was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1990, 1994 and 1998. She is currently public affairs director of Pro Life Coalition of Pennsylvania. Toomey, 48, came within 17,000 votes of knocking off the party endorsed Specter in 2004 Republican primary. He now has the party's endorsement.U.S. CongressFor the first time in years Democrat Tim Holden has opposition in the primary election for his seat as representative from the 17th Congressional District. Holden, 52, has held the seat for 18 years. He is opposed by Sheila Dow-Ford, Dauphin County.Holden, who voted against the health care bill, defends his vote claiming the bill was robbing Peter to pay Paul as it cuts medicaid services but will also boost the cost of medicaid at an estimate $350 billion. Dow-Ford, a Harisburg attorney, attacks Holden for not voting for the bill accusing him of not showing leaderhship.The Republicans have four candidates seeking the party's nomination, Dave Argall, Schuylkill County; Allen Griffith, Lebanon County; Josh First, Dauphin County; and Frank Ryan, Lebanon County. All four promise to run on a platform of repealing the health care bill.Argall, 51, a household name in Schuylkill County, was elected last March to the seat vacated by the death of State Senator James Rhoades, who was killed in a motor accident in October 2008. Prior to that Argall served many years in the state house of representatives.Griffith, 65. is a former Myerstown Baptist minister. Ryan, is a military veteran who served most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan, is also a businessman. First, 45, has run the Appalachian Land and Conservation Services Company in Harrisburg since 2004.Committee postsBoth parties are electing members to serve on their respective state committees. They have no opposition.Seeking election to the Republican State Committee are Scott R. Thomas, Pottsville; Maria Casey, Minersville; Geroge Moyer, Norwegian Townshp and Mary Beth Dougherty, Girardville. No candidates filed to become alternate to the committee from Schuylkill County with two to be elected.The Democrats elect two. Seeing election are Linda M. DeCindio, Schuylkill Township, and Charles M. Dries, Palo Alto. Morris Brill is seeking to be the alternate.Voting placesReduction of election districts from 167 to 125 caused a number of relocations of polling places. The address of area polling places are as follows:Tamaqua Borough - First Precinct, Trinity United Church of Christ, 22 Lafayette St.; Second Precinct, East End Fire Company, Columbia and Broad sts.; Third Precinct, High Rise Building, 222 E. Broad St.; and Fourth Precinct, South Ward Fire Company, 325 Van Gelder St.Coaldale Borough - East Precinct, Borough Hall, 221 Third St.; and West Precinct, Ambulance Building, SR209.McAdoo Borough - First Ward, Keystone Fire Comoany Number One, Gant and Hancock sts.; and Second Ward, The Strand, 119 W. Blaine St.Middleport - Citizens Fire Company, Washington St.New Philadelphia Borough - Good Intent Fire Company, 15 ,McComb St.New Ringgold Borough - Community Fire Company, Railroad St.BlytheTownship - Good Will Hose Company, Water St.Delano Township - Delano Fire Company,Birch St.East Brunswick Township -Lutheran and Reform Hall, 1751 Chestnut St.East Union Township - Township Building, behind J&J Auction, 10 E. Elm St.Kline Township - Former Kline Township Fire House, Fifth St.North Union Township - Municipal Building, 185 Mahanoy St.Rush Township - East District, Armory Hall, Hometown; Elixir District, Barnesville Community Association Building; West District, Hometown Fire Company, 45 Mahanoy Ave.Ryan Township - Ryan Township Fire Company, Park Crest.Schuylkill Township - MaryD Fire Company, 85 Walnut St.Walker Township - Municipal Building, 9 Township Road.West Penn Township - Precinct One, Municipal Building, 27 Municipal Building; Second Precinct, Saint Peter's Church, 184 Saint Peter's Road; and Third Precinct, West Penn Elementary, 185 School Drive.Election officersThe main reason for reducing the number of voting precincts in the county was because it was difficult to get people to serve the long hours.Each voting place has five people, a judge of election, a majority and a minority inspector and two clerks. The pay for a judge of election is $105 plus $20 for returning the voting record to the election bureau. Each inspector gets $100 plus $20 to the one accompanying the judge of election with the vote returns and two clerks each get $100.