When you vote on Tuesday, you are in the game and have a voice about its outcome; if you don't, you're on the sidelines letting someone else determine the future. When the polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday in Pennsylvania, this unusual and unprecedented presidential election year, which has featured a barrage of ugly words, wild speculation and never-ending accusations, will be turned over to us registered voters who plan to cast ballots. We have a 13-hour window to do so.

In addition to the presidential race, there is a key U.S. Senate contest pitting incumbent Republican Pat Toomey against Democratic challenger Katie McGinty, along with those for U.S. Congress, state Senate, state representative and three statewide offices. The winner of the top race will become the 45th president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2017, succeeding Barack Obama, who is completing his second and final term. It will be either Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump. Also on the ballot are Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Constitutional Party candidate Darrell Castle.• In our area, there is just one state Senate seat up this year - the one in the Schuylkill-Berks 29th district held by incumbent Republican Dave Argall, who is unopposed. The seats of the other four state senators who represent our area - John Yudichak, D-Carbon and Luzerne; Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton and Lehigh; Mario Scavello, R-Monroe and Northampton, and Pat Browne, R-Lehigh - will be up in 2018. State senators serve four-year terms, while state House members serve two-year terms.• The incumbents in each of the four Congressional districts in our area face challenges:In the 11th District (which includes parts of Carbon County), incumbent Republican Lou Barletta is being challenged by Democrat Mike Marsicano.• In the 15th District (which includes Lehigh and parts of Northampton counties), Republican incumbent Charlie Dent is challenged by Democrat Rick Daugherty and Libertarian Paul Rizzo.• In the 17th District (which includes Schuylkill and parts of Carbon, Monroe and Northampton counties), incumbent Democrat Matt Cartwright is challenged by Republican Matt Connolly, with Brian Kelly as a declared write-in candidate.• In the 10th District (which includes parts of Monroe County) Republican incumbent Tom Marino is challenged by Democrat Michael Molesevich.• In the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, all incumbents, except one, are running for re-election.Julie Harhart, the Republican incumbent whose 183rd district includes Slatington, Walnutport and surrounding townships, is retiring on Nov. 30. She will be replaced either by Democrat PhillipsArmstrong, a member of the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners, or Republican Zachary Mako of Lehigh Township, a helicopter pilot in the Pennsylvania National Guard and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.Here are the other state House candidates in our area:• 122nd District (all of Carbon County except the borough of Summit Hill) - incumbent Republican Doyle Heffley, Democrat Neil Makhija and Libertarian Matthew Schutter.• 124th District (parts of Schuylkill County and Summit Hill) - incumbent Republican Jerry Knowles is unopposed.• 115th District (part of Monroe County) - incumbent Republican David Parker and Democrat Maureen Madden.• 176th District (part of Monroe County) - incumbent Republican Jack Rader Jr. is unopposed.• 189th District (part of Monroe County) - incumbent Republican Rosemary Brown and Democrat Demary Bonilla-Rodriguez.• 187th District (northwestern part of Lehigh County) - incumbent Republican Gary Day is unopposed.Statewide, there will be a new attorney general and a new treasurer in January. Either Democrat Josh Shapiro or Republican John Rafferty will become the next attorney general. Incumbent Kathleen Kane resigned in September in disgrace after being convicted of leaking grand jury information then lying about it. Bruce Beemer is attorney general until the winner of the election is sworn in.The next state treasurer will be either Democrat Joe Torsella or Republican Otto Voit. Also on the ballot are Green Party candidate Kristin Combs and Libertarian Party candidate James Babb. The winner succeeds caretaker Independent Tim Reese, who was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf last year after Rob McCord resigned following a guilty plea to extortion stemming from the 2014 gubernatorial race.Incumbent state Auditor General Democrat Eugene DePasquale is being challenged by Republican Northampton County Executive John Brown, Green Party candidate John Sweeney and Libertarian Party candidate Roy Minet.There also is a state constitutional amendment question which asks whether the retirement age of members of the state and local judiciaries should be increased from 70 to 75. Voters will give a yes or no response.There are no municipal or school board elections this year, but there will be plenty of them in 2017.Now, it is up to you. Remember, every election is determined by the people who show up to vote.By Bruce Frassinelli |

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