Published: March 21, 2008 11:28 pm      

Primary spurs party changes

As Monday’s deadline fast approaches to sign up to vote in Pennsylvania’s presidential primary, elections offices in Cambria and Somerset counties report a significant increase in Democratic registrations.

Political party leaders say the contest between Democratic hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton is bringing new voters to the polls – and causing some to change party affiliation altogether.

Cambria County’s election office has seen 955 new voter registrations since October, and 377 voters have changed parties in the past four weeks – about 90 percent of those from Republican or other party to Democrat.

That brings the total number of registered Democrats in Cambria County to 55,098.

Republicans decreased by 79 to 27,811 since October, while 6,643 voters belong to other parties.

A clerk at the county’s elections office said workers have been busy processing forms in recent weeks, which she said is typical in presidential election years.

It is a similar situation at Somerset County’s office, said Tina Pritts, the county’s election director.

“This is typically how busy we are for a presidential primary,” Pritts said.

Like Cambria County, this year has seen quite a few party changes, Pritts said.

Of the 52,700 voters in Somerset County, 26,014 are Republicans, while 22,716 are Democrats. The remaining 3,970 are registered with other political parties.

Helen Whiteford, Cambria County’s Democratic chairwoman, said her office has seen a huge increase in registration inquiries.

“It’s encouraging,” Whiteford said, attributing the increase to voters wanting to participate in the historic drama of two U.S. senators vying to be the first black or female president.

“I still feel Pennsylvania is going to be the deciding factor (for the Democratic nomination),” Whiteford said. “Voters here want to make history, and usually a presidential year generates a lot of interest in voting.”

Whiteford said that most of those calling to register are women, but her colleagues do not ask why.

“We just want them to register,” Whiteford said.

Local and state Republican Party Chairman Robert Gleason said the GOP will make up for their few lost voters after the primary.

“We’ve been kind of sitting on the sidelines because the Obama/Clinton race has generated a lot of interest in the Democratic primary,” Gleason said.

He said organized Republican voter-registration drives will begin after the primary.

“We will be attempting to contact these people who switched into the Democratic party to come back to the Republican party,” Gleason said.

“We think there will be a lot of disgruntled voters from the loser who will switch over to us and support John McCain.”

Gleason said the switch from one party to another for just one election is not uncommon.

“This has happened in other counties, too,” Gleason said.

“They switched to vote in the Democratic primary and expect to come back to our party.

“It’s very unusual, but it has happened before.”

Residents who are not yet registered to vote have until Monday at 4 p.m. to be able to participate in the April 22 primary.

Forms can be obtained and received at the county elections office or online at www.votespa.com. Forms that are postmarked Monday also will be accepted.



Staff writer Patrick Buchnowski and The Associated Press contributed to this report.